Incunabula (English spelling)

Japanese: インクナブラ（英語表記）incunabula

The Latin word means "diaper," "birthplace," or "beginning." From there it came to refer to Western printed matter produced before 1500, so to speak, in its early stages. In Japan, it is often called incunabula. Single-sheet woodblock prints were produced from the end of the 14th century, and by around 1500, approximately 10,000 prints exist. Most of them have religious themes, while secular karuta (game cards) appeared after the mid-15th century. The technique used was mainly relief woodblock printing, and from the mid-15th century metal relief printing known as crible printing briefly appeared, and around the same time, intaglio engraved copperplate printing appeared, which would go on to form the mainstream of Western printmaking.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ラテン語で〈おむつ〉〈出生地〉〈初め〉の意。そこから1500年以前の西洋の印刷物の，いわば発生期のものを総称するようになった。日本ではインキュナブラと呼ぶことが多い。一枚刷り木版画は14世紀末からつくられ，1500年ごろまでにおよそ1万点現存する。その大部分は宗教的主題であり，世俗的なカルタ(遊戯札)は15世紀中期以後に現れる。その技法はおもに凸版の板目木版であり，15世紀中期からクリブレ版と呼ばれる金属凸版も一時的に現れ，また同じころ凹版の彫刻銅版が現れて，これが以後の西洋版画の主流を形成することになる。

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

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