Kirikumi (Japanese woodblock print)

…They were toys, picture books, and textbooks for children of the common people. It is unclear when they were first made, but an article on the Kansei era in Saito Gesshin's "Takee Nenpyo" (Bujo Nenpyo) states that "The Kirigumi lantern paintings that children play with are things that came down from the Kamigata region," which tells us that there were toy paintings called "Kirigumi" around the time of the Kansei era (1789-1801). Since the Tenpo Reforms, one-sheet paintings, especially children's ones, were tolerated by the authorities, and toy paintings were produced in large numbers. …

*Some of the terminology used in reference to "Kirigumi (Nishiki-e)" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…庶民の子どもたちの玩具であり，絵本であり，教科書であった。いつごろから作られたかは不明だが，斎藤月岑《武江年表》寛政年間記事に〈児輩の玩ぶ切組灯籠絵は上方下りの物なり〉とあるところから，寛政(1789‐1801)のころには〈切組み〉と呼ばれるおもちゃ絵があったことがわかる。天保改革以来，一枚絵，ことに子どもものは当局に大目に見られたこともあって，おもちゃ絵はさかんに作られた。…

※「切組み（錦絵）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報