拓本

• Reading: たくほん
• Romaji: takuhon
• Kanji breakdown: 拓 (taku/hira) — rubbings, to open; 本 (hon/moto) — copy, origin, book
• Pronunciation: /ta.kɯ.hoɴ/

Meaning

Rubbing; ink impression made from an engraved stone, bronze vessel, or carved surface. A technique for reproducing inscriptions and relief carvings on paper.

Made by pressing dampened paper against a surface and rubbing ink or charcoal over it to capture raised or incised patterns. An invaluable method for preserving and studying ancient inscriptions before photography. Widely used in East Asian archaeology, epigraphy, and calligraphy study. Also called 搨本 (takuhon) or 石摺り (ishizuri).

Examples

1. 碑文の拓本を取って文字を記録として残した。 I took a rubbing of the inscription to preserve the characters as a record.
2. 博物館には奈良時代の石碑から採った拓本が展示されている。 The museum displays rubbings taken from Nara-period stone monuments.
3. 拓本技法は古代中国で発達し、後に日本や韓国にも伝わった。 The rubbing technique developed in ancient China and later spread to Japan and Korea.

Usage Guide

Context: archaeology, epigraphy, calligraphy, art history

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Classical Chinese 拓本 (tàběn). 拓 originally meant to open or expand, later specialised to the technique of taking ink impressions. 本 means 'copy' or 'text.'

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient–Pre-modern

Generation: Scholars and artists

Social background: Educated elite