Sekka Zusetsu: A Book of Snowflakes (1832)

3 days ago

Sekka Zusetsu is a 1832 book of woodblock prints by Doi Toshitsura, documenting his 20-year study of snowflakes.
Doi Toshitsura, a feudal lord, was likely the first in Japan to observe ice crystals under a microscope.
The book contains 86 firsthand snowflake observations and reproductions from J. F. Martinet’s Katechismus der natur (1779).
Doi used a black cloth to collect snowflakes, transferring them with tweezers to a lacquerware tray for microscopic study.
He collaborated with Takami Senseki, a scholar of Dutch learning (rangaku), to advance his research.
His work earned him the nickname 'Snow Lord,' and his snowflake patterns influenced textiles, tea cups, and public art.
Doi's diagrams were included in Hokuetsu Seppu (1840), a bestselling book on Japanese snow country.
His motifs remain visible in Koga today, embedded in sidewalks and public art.

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