EDUTAINMENT
CATEGORIES
LINKS
Edutainment > Japanese Print Sizes
Japanese prints come in different sizes following certain standards. However these formats are not comparable to Western ISO, ANSI or DIN standards and are only approximate. The actual sizes can vary slightly by up to one inch (oban) or more (larger formats).
The images on this page are link-sensitive and take you to other articles or web sites in which you might be interested.
Common Japanese Print Sizes
The most common print sizes that you will find for Japanese prints are Oban, Chuban and Aiban. The names for Japanese print sizes are often followed by the word tate-e or yoko-e. Tate-e stands for a print in portrait format and yoko-e for a print in landscape format. The knowledge of print sizes - even if only approximate - is sometimes quite helpful. Many ukiyo-e art dealers refer to their print sizes using these names instead of mentioning the precise measures. And it can be helpful if you are not sure if a print was trimmed.
Publishing a table about Japanese print sizes is a frustrating matter. Four different sources will result in four different sets of measures. We decided to follow basically the sizes as published in Sandra Andacht's book Japanese Woodblock Prints - see below.
Dieter Wanczura
(June 2001, updated November 2009)
| Format | Size in inches | Size in cm |
| Aiban | 9 x 13 | 22.5 x 34.5 |
| Chuban | 7.5 x 10 | 19 x 25.5 |
| Chu-tanzaku | 5.1 x 15 | 13 x 38 |
| Dai Oban | 13.75 x 18.25 | 34.5 x 45.5 |
| Ebankiri | 7.5 x 20.25 | 19 x 51.5 |
| Hashire-e | 4.5 x 28 | 13 x 73 |
| Hosoban | 5 x 13 | 14.5 x 33 |
| Kakemono-e | 9 x 30 | 23 x 76 |
| Kakuban | 7 x 8 | 17.8 x 20.3 |
| Kaku-Surimono | 7 x 8.5 | 18 x 21.5 |
| Koban | 6.75 x 9 | 17 x 23 |
| Ko-tanzaku | 3 x 13.5 | 7.6 x 34.5 |
| Naga-ban | 9 x 20.25 | 23 x 51.5 |
| Oban | 10 x 15 | 25.4 x 38 |
| Ogata-chuban | 8.5 x 11.5 | 21.7 x 29.3 |
| O-hosoban | 6.75 x 15 | 17 x 38 |
| Tanzaku | 5 x 17 | 12.7 x 43 |
| Shikishiban | 8 x 9 | 20.5 x 23 |
| Sho-tanzaku | 3.75 x 10 | 9.5 x 25.5 |
| Uchiwa | 9 x 10 | 22.9 x 25.4 |
| Yatsugiri-ban | 3,75 x 5 | 9.5 x 12.7 |
Literature source for Japanese Print Sizes
Sandra Andacht, "Japanese Woodblock Prints - Collector's Value Guide", krause publications, Iola, ISBN 1-58221-005-5.
The images on this web site are the property of the artist(s) and or the artelino GmbH and/or a third company/institution. Reproduction, public display and any commercial use of these images, in whole or in part, require the expressed written consent of the artist(s) and/or the artelino GmbH. .
Saturday, November 21, 2009:
Weekly auctions of Japanese prints from the 18th to 21st century
and contemporary Chinese art prints.
artelino
art auctions since 2001.
Auctions of Japanese and Chinese prints.
Online Art Auctions
Search for Japanese prints in our online auctions of Japanese and Chinese prints.
