Japanese illustrated books: The Pulverer Collection
Cristiana Braz
“Japanese Illustrated Books: The Pulverer Collection” is a publication devoted to cataloging Japanese illustrated books from the Edo period (published between 1600 and 1868) held in the collection of Gerhard Pulverer, acquired by the Freer Gallery in 2007. The project involved arranging the most significant manuscripts in a chronological, linear order, quoting their most formal features directly and taking the average size of one of these volumes as the format of the publication, using its internal structure to create the space that houses all the content. To evoke the materiality of the original objects, a thin, yellowish paper was chosen, which lets the printed layers show through. Given the book’s chronological narrative, a line runs along the top margin of the pages through the whole publication, unifying the project and giving it a sense of continuity. Other elements were fitted into the surrounding spaces, notably the red texts that dance between the images, offering additional commentary and serving as moments in which the author’s voice intervenes. That voice is amplified in three red-tinted sections over the course of the book. In addition, a printed dust jacket was developed with a timeline of all the years mentioned inside, containing complementary information about the historical period portrayed.
Imprint / Technical Rider:
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 180 × 270 mm; 240 pages
Materials: Munken Pure 90 g/m² (text block), Flora 240 g/m² (cover), Curious Skin Red 135 g/m² (dust jacket).
Production and finishing: Printed by Norcópia; sewn binding (kettle stitch); print run of 1 copy.
Resources and credits: Content: Freer Gallery of Art – Smithsonian Museum; typefaces: PP Mori (Pangram Pangram Foundry) and Recia (The Indian Type Foundry).
Curricular Unit:
Project (1st year)
Supervising Professors:
Eduardo Aires and Cristina Ferreira