Shinsen Teisakuden (新撰庭作伝), meaning “New Treatise on Garden Design”, is a rare Edo-period woodblock-printed book dedicated to the art of Japanese garden architecture (庭作, teisaku).
Published in the late Edo period (mid-19th century), this volume presents a comprehensive visual and textual guide to landscape composition, stone arrangement, water features, and garden structures such as bridges, gates, lanterns, and teahouses.
The book blends technical diagrams and poetic commentary, illustrating the refined harmony of nature and design central to Japanese aesthetics. The detailed woodblock prints capture classical garden elements—curved bridges (taikobashi), stone lanterns (ishidōrō), and streams framed by pines and plum blossoms.
This work reflects the philosophy of balance and impermanence (wabi-sabi) that defined Edo-period craftsmanship, serving as a practical manual for gardeners and architects of the time. Today, it stands as a valuable document of Japanese cultural heritage, sought after by collectors of ukiyo-e era design manuals, architects, and historians of landscape art.
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Title: 新撰庭作伝 (Shinsen Teisakuden, “New Treatise on Garden Design”)
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Author: 山水舎 芳緑 (Sansuisha Hōryoku)
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Illustrator: 石組八重重 (Sekigumi Yaeshige)
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Period: Late Edo Period, circa 1850s
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Technique: Woodblock printing on handmade washi paper
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Binding: Fukuro-toji (side-stitched Japanese binding)
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Cover: Green embossed paper with printed title slip
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Language: Classical Japanese
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Origin: Japan
Shinsen Teisakuden belongs to a long tradition of Edo-period technical manuals (工芸書, kōgeisho), which transmitted the knowledge of architecture, gardening, and craftsmanship across generations.
It is an essential reference for understanding the aesthetic principles of Edo gardens, where nature was idealized through deliberate asymmetry, symbolic stones, and tranquil water elements.
Such books inspired both Meiji-era architects and modern landscape designers, bridging classical techniques with new artistic sensibilities.
