You Can Now Download a Collection of Ancient Japanese Wave Illustrations for Free

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Fans of traditional Japanese art, rejoice! There’s now an incredible online collection available featuring ancient wave and ripple designs from 1903. The black ink drawings were originally produced by the little-known Japanese artist Mori Yuzan. Despite his lack of fame, Yuzan’s artwork speaks for itself—his expressive motifs and patterns would have acted as a go-to guide for traditional Japanese craftsmen looking to adorn their swords, religious objects, ceramics, and other items with wave designs. The impressive archive, titled Hamonshū, boasts three volumes of Yuzan’s illustrations, all of which are now available to download for free on Internet Archive.

Yuzan’s artwork is rendered in the distinct Nihonga style (meaning Japanese painting), an aesthetic that emerged during the Meiji period, a time of rapid Westernization in Japan. The monochrome, inky style is typically executed on Japanese washi paper using brushes. The three volumes offer a wide range of abstract line drawings that represent the various forms of waves as they swell, crash, and swirl. Such imagery still remains popular in Japan more than a century after the publication of Hamonshū, where Japanese culture continues to celebrate traditional craft and the beauty of natural elements.

You can browse and download volumes 1, 2, and 3 on the Internet Archive. Scroll down to check out a sample of what you might find.

The Internet Archive have recently released an archive of traditional Japanese wave and ripple designs from 1903.

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Titled Hamonshū, the black ink drawings were originally produced by Japanese artist Mori Yuzan.

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Yuzan’s artwork is rendered in the distinct Nihonga style that emerged during the Meiji period.

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

The wide range of abstract, black line drawings represent the various forms of waves as they swell, crash, and swirl.

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

You can now view and download the entire collection for free.

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Japanese Art Wave Illustrations Internet Archive

Internet Archive: Website
h/t: [Open Culture]

All images via Internet Archive.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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