On the lower left of the cover is a detail from the 'Scroll of Various Professions'. Produced around the latter half of the 17th century, this scroll shows a streetscape reminiscent of 'Scenes in and around Kyoto', where a series of different artisans' shops and workshops are lined up. The illustrated section shows the beni dye makers as they knead the sacks of beni cakes in water, in order to extract the liquid used to make the dye. (The safflower, beni-bana, was grown in areas like Yamagata where it was fermented and worked into a paste with a pestle and mortar. This was then made into flat cakes that were dried before being transported to the dye-makers.)
Around this image we have shown several pieces of artwork from our museum collection including kosode (padded silk kimono) from the Nomura Collection, and Tang-dynasty tri-coloured ceramics. We hope you enjoy this kaleidoscope of color, drawn from a wealth of cultures and historic periods.