沖縄風俗之図 / Okinawan manners and customs, illustrated

This is a work by Nakasone Shōzan in 1889. An orihon (zigzag folded book). It illustrates people's hairstyles, tattoos, hairpins, merchants' customs, wedding ceremonies, funerals, etc. with varicolored drawings. This is a very valuable material for understanding the people of that period. A brief summary by Uezu Hitoshi can be found in Ryūkyū Fūzoku Ezu (Honpō Shoseki, 1982). Nakasone's real name is Shinpo, and his Chinese name is Cha Pilie (Jpn. Sa Hiretsu). He also has the pen name, Shōzan. He was born in Shuri in 1843. Nakasone became a court painter in 1865. The year of death is unknown. His other well known works include the following: Kachōzu (1874), Shuri Kyūjō no Zu (1894), etc. (Updated on December 25, 2015)