Shūrinzu

Illustrated book of fish and aquatic animals

A fully-fledged illustrated catalog of aquatic animals made in the mid-18th century by order of Matsudaira Yoritaka (1711–1771), the fifth lord of Takamatsu Domain, who ruled 120,000 koku in Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa Prefecture). Consisting of 723 illustrations across four books, the Shūrinzu forms a set with the two-book Shūkin gafu that depicts birds as well as the three-book Shasei gajō and the four-book Shūhō gafu that depict flora, collectively making up the Hakubutsu zufu.

Characteristic of the Takamatsu Matsudaira family's Hakubutsu zufu are the highly precise depictions through elaborate techniques in all the illustrations, but the Shūrinzu stands out for its excellent expression of the animals' luster and texture as well as three-dimensionality. It has been pointed out that the Sanuki scientist Hiraga Gennai was involved in the production, and as a work that gathers the knowledge and techniques of the time, it is prized not only as illustrations of the natural world but also as a work of art and an historical source. It has been pointed out that the Sanuki scientist Hiraga Gennai was involved in the production, and as a work that gathers the knowledge and techniques of the time, it is prized not only as illustrations of the natural world but also as a work of art and an historical source.
This wall-size illustration shows a selection of aquatic animals from the Shūrinzu with a focus on those living in and around Shikoku.

Historically used by the Takamatsu Matsudaira family, held by Kagawa Museum
Tangible Cultural Property Designated by Kagawa Prefecture