The Origins of Gyotaku

Gyotaku is a Japanese art that translates to "fish reclamation." It was used for the purpose of capturing the physical attributes of a fish in a time and place where photgraphy was not yet available, especially on the tumultuous sea. The style of printmaking definitively dates back to the middle of the 18th century, however it is said that the godly Emperor of Japan first commissioned the art long ago to show the growth of a fish.¹  

^{1. [http://natureprintshawaii.com/history-of-gyotaku/]↩}