The Japanese Illustrated Book: Continuity and Change

The New York Public Library opened its landmark exhibition Ehon: The Artist and the Book in Japan to the public on October 20th, 2006. This exhibition proved revelatory, especially to American audiences. While the Library's important holdings in Japanese manuscripts, illuminated handscrolls, printed books, and prints are well known to historians and scholars of the book arts in Japan, they constituted eye-opening surprises for most Western viewers.

To mark this significant occasion, the Library held a one-day symposium to explore historical and contemporary topics on this theme. It was made possible by the Pforzheimer Foundation and the Pforzheimer Lectures in the Book Arts.

"The Japanese Illustrated Book: Continuity and Change" took place on October 25th, 2006 in the South Court Auditorium of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The morning program featured curators and art historians, while the afternoon program presented practicing artists working creatively in these disciplines. The speakers came from Europe, Japan, and the United States.

The symposium was presented in conjunction with the exhibition Ehon: The Artist and the Book in Japan, October 20, 2006 - February 4, 2007.

The Library is grateful to our colleagues at the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture, Columbia University, for their support and cooperation in organizing and publicizing this symposium.