Asian Historical Texts

This scene depicts the marriage of Liu Bei (Xuande) to Lady Sun, a strategic alliance between two powerful factions in the Three Kingdoms period. The detailed architectural setting and elegant figures showcase the sophisticated narrative art and social customs captured in 17th-century Chinese book illustration.

This woodcut illustration depicts Izanami, the primordial goddess of creation and death in Japanese mythology. She is shown in elegant, patterned robes, standing amidst stylized clouds and mountains, reflecting traditional Japanese artistic conventions for representing divine beings. This image serves as a visual accompaniment to the 'Nihongi,' one of Japan's oldest historical and mythological chronicles.

This woodcut illustrates a pivotal moment from the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', where the general Zhao Yun uses a secret plan to rescue his lord's family. The dynamic composition and fine line work are characteristic of the high-quality narrative printing produced during the late Ming dynasty.

This woodcut illustration depicts Izanagi, one of the primary creator deities in Japanese mythology, as chronicled in the Nihongi. He is portrayed in ornate traditional robes, standing amidst stylized clouds and a landscape, reflecting the Meiji-era artistic interpretation of ancient Shinto legends. This image serves as a visual representation of the foundational myths of Japan as presented in W.G. Aston's 1896 translation.