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Ten species of whales, from a Japanese book.

Major collection: Hart Nautical
Named collection: Allan Forbes Collection
Object type: woodcut
Maker: unknown
Place made: Japan
Date made: date unknown
Materials: ink; paper
Measurements: 4 3/4 in x 8 in
Nomenclature: natural history
Classification: whales

Black and white ink woodcut sideview of two right whales. Title: "Right Whale. Balaena antarctica, Less." Underneath is what is probably the name in Japanese, written in kanji characters that include the one for whale (kujira in Japanese), third from the right. This text should be read right to left. The line of kanji under each whale seems to indicate a measurement. The line under the large whale reads "True form 135 parts", under the small whale reads "True form 10 parts" The lines above the small whale may indicate that it is a young (child) whale.


AF-NJ-0407