Handmade Japanese Stab-Binding Book
Theme: Technical Arts Application
Lesson Title: Handmade Japanese Stab-Binding Book
Grade Level: secondary (grades 10- 12)
Time: fifteen x (48 minute class meetings)
Art Concept: Technical skills through artmaking
Artmaking Processes and Techniques: Use processes and technical aspects of illustration and
language arts to demonstrate basic knowledge of bookmaking
Art Elements/Principles of Design: Realism, abstraction, function and decoration.
National Standards: (9-12P) 1b, 2a, 5a (9-12A) 1d
State Goals, Learning Standards and Benchmarks: 25.A.5, 26.B.5, 26.A.4e, 27.A.5
Disciplines: AP, AH, AC, AE
Domains: C2, C3, C4, C5, C6
Overview: Students will create and illustrate a story or poem that will be at least ten pages in
length and will contain illustrations on at least half of the pages in combination with text that
follows a set type font of the student’s choice.
Rationale: The combination of text and illustrations will integrate language arts and visual arts
in an art form that illustrates the merit and value of the arts in graphic and commercial
applications. Technical applications will be highlighted in the finished artmaking assignment to
further illustrate the importance of consistency and quality in a completed product.
Objectives
As a result of this unit, students will:
Artmaking
Create at least one story board
thumbnail sketch then create a
full size dummy sketch of their
finished book with illustrations
and text of story.
The finished book on 4” x 6”
text weight paper will include a
story or poem that will be at
least ten pages in length and
will contain illustrations on at
least half of the pages in
combination with text that
follows a set type font of the
student’s choice.
Historical/Cultural
When shown stab
binding examples of
three Japanese stabbinding techniques,
students will be able to
orally describe the
three different
techniques used.
27.A.5; (9-12P) 4b
(C2)
Criticism
Be able to describe
and illustrate on a
written quiz, the
qualities and
differences in the
three Japanese stabbinding techniques
that artists use in
creating a handmade
illustrated book.
26.A.4e; (9-12P) 5a
(C4)
Aesthetics
Be able to state in a
written reflection of
at least two
paragraphs whether
their handmade
book is successful
and would show
merit in being
commercially
produced.
25.A.5; (9-12P) 2a
(C6)
26.B.5; (9-12P)1b, (9-12A)
1d (C3, C5)
Participation: demonstrate a willingness to learn about other disciplines by positively contributing
to the discussion at least twice during the lesson. (A1)
Vocabulary
Artmaking
Illustration -a drawing, photograph, or
diagram that accompanies and complements a
printed, spoken, or electronic text
Font -a full set of printing type or of printed or
screen characters of the same design and size
Storyboard -a set of sketches, arranged in
sequence on panels, outlining the plot of a
story
Dummy -a page that looks like the final
product but is a computer-generated or pastedup facsimile showing general design
specifications to give an idea of the final book.
Draft -a preliminary version of something
written, such as a story, speech or report
Binding - the glue, strip of plastic, or other
material that holds the pages of a book or
booklet together
Stab-Binding - a sewed together binding that
holds the pages of a book or booklet together
Text weight - the weight of paper used to
create a book
Historical/Cultural
A culture is made up of the behaviors,
customs, ideas, and skills shared and
transmitted among a group of people. Cultures
go through stages of social, economic and
technological development. These
developmental changes are reflected in the
style and type of ceramic artifacts from that
culture (Day and Alexander, eds., p. G-9)
Japanese Bookbinding - the development of
the multisection book (retchoso), the first
Japanese codex bookform, which is entirely
sewn. The multisection book is uniquely
Japanese.
Kikko toji -This style, tortoiseshell, is a variant
of the basic yotsume toji. It offers similar
advantages as the asa-no-ha toji but without the
extra corner stitching.
Yotsume toji -Pouch books are so called
because their pages, folded at the fore edge and
sewn at the back edge, form pouches, but their
Japanese name translates simply as 'four hole'.
Most Japanese pouch books are four hole
(Chinese style) or five hole (Korean style)
bindings, each nation traditionally holding even
or odd numbers respectively to be especially
propitious. The two styles existed side by side
in Japan during the Edo period, and were
commonly used for cheap novels and
romances.
Kangxi -This variant of the basic yotsume toji
was reputedly invented by the Qing dynasty
emperor Kangxi, after whom it is named. It is
also known as koki toji, the noble binding. It is
constructed in exactly the same way as the
basic four-hole pouchbook except for two extra
holes near the corners. Apart from their
decorative value, these extra stitching points
give increased support at the corners, so this
binding is frequently used for larger or fancier
books.
Motivation: Apply skills and knowledge necessary to create and perform in one or more of the
arts. Demonstrate basic knowledge of bookmaking. Create story or poem. Teacher created
examples and demonstrations.
Student Pre-requisite: foundations in design, drawing, and compositional skills
Instructional Methods: Teacher demonstration. Hand-outs. Teacher created and professional
artist examples. Hands-On student group involvement. Group discussion.
Learning Activities
Art historical presentation
Procedure (Teacher Directed)
Introduce unit to students with a sketchbook assignment, Movie Poster self portrait. Students will
research and acquire image of movie poster of student choice that includes a figurative design.
Students will reproduce the design incorporating their self-portrait on 11” x 14” charcoal drawing
paper and color pencil.
Artmaking
Materials: 11” x 14” charcoal drawing paper, color pencils, 7” x 5” decorative paper for front
and back cover, 6” x 4” text weight paper for end paper, 12” x 4” text weight paper for
illustration pages, decorative thread, scissors, glue brush, heavy duty paper awl or drill, small
hammer and pliers, ruler, PVA, acrylic medium or good quality paper glue, scrap paper, needle,
weights and small hand clamps, pencil, wax paper, bone folder.
Procedure
Day #1:
(Teacher Directed):
 Introduce unit with sketchbook assignment
 Share teacher idea of movie poster design
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Take class to computer lab for initial research
Day #2:
(Teacher Directed)
 Demonstrate sketchbook assignment drawing with teacher created example
 Distribute charcoal paper to students
 Introduce stab binding book assignment with teacher created example and children’s
book samples by Caldecott winning artist/author Eric Rohmann.
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Begin working on storyboard ideas
Day #3:
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Continue story board ideas
 Start dummy sketches
Days #4-10:
(Independent Practice) Students will:
 Complete dummy mock-up of book
(Teacher Directed):
 Give individual instruction
 Distribute finished book paper
 Check for progress
 Assess roughs of illustrations on finished book paper
 Assess roughs of text on finished book paper
Day #11:
(Teacher Directed):
 Demonstrate book cover procedures
 Demonstrate binding techniques
Day #12:
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Create book cover/end papers
Day #13:
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Complete book covers/end papers
Day #14:
(Teacher Directed):
 Review Japanese stab binding techniques
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Start stab binding book
Day #15:
(Teacher Directed):
 Review Japanese stab binding techniques
(Guided Practice) Students will:
 Complete stab binding book
(Closure)
 Relate to the students the quality of work that they have produced in their books
 Create display of finished books in IMC, School display case, and/or school web sight.
Plan B: additional drawings and book binding of student choice using techniques learned in
lesson.
Adaptations (For Students with Learning Disabilities): assess the level of disability, additional
assistance may be provided.
 Provide larger, easily manageable tools for students who have difficulty with fine motor
skills.
 Modify assessment for level of needs
Assessment of Student Learning
Artmaking
Created at least one story
board thumbnail sketch
then created a full size
dummy sketch of their
finished book with
illustrations and text of
story.
Created a finished book on
4” x 6” text weight paper
will include a story or
poem that will be at least
ten pages in length and
contained illustrations on
at least half of the pages in
combination with text that
followed a set type font of
the student’s choice.
Historical/Cultural
Orally described the
three different
techniques used when
shown three Japanese
stab-binding examples
of bookbinding
techniques.
Criticism
Described and
illustrated on a written
quiz, the qualities and
differences in the three
Japanese stab-binding
techniques that artists
used in creating a
handmade illustrated
book.
Aesthetics
Stated in a written
reflection of at least
two paragraphs
whether their
handmade book is
successful and would
show merit in being
commercially
produced.
Participation: Teacher Observation and Checklist
References
Lineco: Books by Hand. Holyoke, MA. 01041 www.BooksByHand.com
** Designed for Graphic Design and Digital Media, Henry-Senachwine High School
by Frank Bush, Henry, Illinois 2012 **
FBush@hscud5.org