Tosa School Style Sketches of Old Time People vol.1 1793

This volume of Tosa School Style Sketches of Old Time People was created by Rintō Yasutami, using ink and color on paper. The artist employed traditional drawing and painting techniques of the Tosa school of Japanese painting, which specialized in historical and literary subjects. We see a dynamic composition of a warrior on horseback aiming a bow and arrow. The artist paid careful attention to detail, capturing the texture of the horse's mane, the warrior's clothing, and the quiver filled with arrows. The materiality of this work – paper, ink, and color – speaks to the social context of artistic production in Japan. Paper, a precious commodity, was carefully crafted by skilled artisans. The use of ink and color required years of training and mastery, as did the painting techniques. The creation of this artwork reflects a complex interplay of labor, skill, and tradition. By focusing on the materials and processes, we can see how the artist’s craftsmanship imbues the work with cultural significance, blurring the lines between art, craft, and social history.