From Valverde to Kulmus: Tracing the Western origins of Kaitai Shinsho's frontispiece design in early modern Japanese medicine

This study investigates the intriguing choice of frontispiece design in Kaitai Shinsho (1774), the first systematic Japanese translation of a Western anatomical text. While the main content of Kaitai Shinsho was translated from Johann Adam Kulmus's "Ontleedkundige Tafelen" (1734), its frontispiece notably deviates from Kulmus's original design, instead adopting the architectural framework and figure placement from Juan Valverde de Amusco's "Vivae Imagines" (1566). Through a comparative analysis of the frontispieces of these three anatomical texts, this study explores the significance of this design choice in the context of cross-cultural medical knowledge transfer in early modern Japan. The analysis reveals that the selection and adaptation of Valverde's design over Kulmus's reflects sophisticated considerations in presenting Western anatomical knowledge to a Japanese audience. The creation of the frontispiece followed Edo period publishing conventions with a specialized division of labor among artists, carvers, and printers. Through this collaborative process, Odano Naotake's artistic achievement in translating Western anatomical imagery into woodblock print form exemplifies the sophisticated cultural exchange of the period. The successful integration of Chinese characters within the classical Western architectural frame created a unique visual hybrid that effectively bridged Eastern and Western medical traditions. This thoughtful adaptation demonstrates that Japanese scholars were not passive recipients but active agents in shaping how Western medical knowledge would be presented to their audience. The study contributes to understanding how visual elements in medical texts served as crucial vectors for cross-cultural scientific exchange in the early modern period.