Fish print - Gyotaku

Japanese: 魚拓 - ぎょたく

The act of copying the shape of a fish onto paper or cloth. It is used for record-keeping or for decorative purposes, and is thought to have been invented in Japan. As it is similar to the stone-printing technique used for inscriptions, it is called gyotaku, short for "fish rubbing."

There are two methods of making gyotaku: the direct method, which uses ink and is primarily intended to record the fish caught, and the indirect method, which uses color to create an artistic work. The Homma Museum of Art in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, houses a gyotaku from the end of the Edo period, along with detailed records of the date, time and fishing rod used, which is said to be the oldest direct gyotaku in Japan. There is also a theory that the indirect method was also attempted at the end of the Edo period, but there is no definite proof. A modern gyotaku using color was completed by Inada Koyo in 1948 (Showa 23). In 1980, the World Gyotaku Exhibition was held in Tokyo.

[Yoshinori Sato]

Direct Method

(1) Sprinkle salt on the fish and remove slime and dirt with a brush. Or, soak it in diluted neutral detergent for a few minutes, then wash it with water using a brush.

(2) Fix the fish body with a stabilizing plate that is sized to fit the fish's body shape.

(3) Two shades of ink or paint are applied from the head to the tail.

(4) While the ink is still wet, cover it with Japanese paper, then cover it with clear vinyl, and rub it with your hand to avoid wrinkles.

[Yoshinori Sato]

Indirect Method

(1) The fish bodies are washed and stabilized in the same way as the direct method.

(2) Mix paint according to the type of fish. Watercolor paint that has been fixed to a plate is the best. For ink rubbing, make three or four different shades of ink.

(3) Apply water to the stabilized fish body with a brush or spray bottle and cover it with paper. Spray more water on top and use a rubber puff to carefully attach the paper to the body without creating wrinkles. Dry with a hair dryer so that about 20% of the water remains.

(4) Wrap a thumb-sized piece of cotton wadding in silk cloth and tie it with a rubber band to make a pad. Start with a light color of paint or ink, and gently dab the paint from head to tail. Repeat the coloring process while keeping the humidity at around 20% by adjusting the hair dryer to remove any moisture that seeps into the paper. For the final touch, use the darkest color to add an accent and create a three-dimensional effect.

(5) Remove the paper from the fish, dry it with a hair dryer, and spray the back side with a mist of hydrogen peroxide diluted three times. This is to remove any dirt.

(6) Wait until it dries before drawing the eyes. Try to avoid using a brush for anything other than drawing the eyes.

[Yoshinori Sato]

"Yutaku: Appreciation and Creation" by Yuya Shimizu (1975, Hoikusha, Color Books)

How to make a fish print (indirect method)
©Shogakukan ">

How to make a fish print (indirect method)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

魚の形態を紙または布などに写し取ること。記録や観賞のためのもので、日本で発明されたと推測される。碑文などの石刷りの手法に似ていることから、魚の拓本という意の略で魚拓とよばれている。

　作り方には、墨を用い釣魚の記録をおもな目的とする直接法と、色彩を用い芸術的な作品に仕上げる間接法とがある。山形県酒田市の本間美術館には江戸末期の魚拓が、日時や使用した竿(さお)の詳細な記録とともに保管されており、これが本邦最古の直接法魚拓といわれている。間接法も江戸末期に試みられたとの説もあるが確証はない。色彩を施した近代的魚拓は1948年（昭和23）に稲田黄洋が完成した。80年には世界魚拓展が東京で開催された。

［佐藤吉則］