Toba-e 鳥羽絵 (Toba pictures) are a type of giga 戯画 (humorous pictures) featuring cartoon-like figures with very thin arms and legs, round heads, black circles for eyes and large mouths. They often involve subtle puns or comic situations and were easily understood by the common people.

Toba-e take their name from the artist Toba Sōjō 鳥羽僧正 (1053-1140), credited with creating the picture scroll Frolicking Animals and People (鳥獣人物戯画 Chōjū jinbutsu giga) in the 12th century (see picture above).

Initially associated with the Osaka region, toba-e style images gained popularity as a commercial medium in mid-eighteenth century Edo and were primarily issued in book form. Their popularity continued into the mid-19th century through the work of Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760-1849) and Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 (1797-1858), after which their popularity faded.

Toba-e images have left a lasting impact through today, particularly in manga 漫画.

Sources:

Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints, Amy Reigle Newland, Hotei Publishing Company, 2005, p. 495

JAANUS website: https://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/t/tobae.htm

Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba-e#:~:text=Toba%2De%20(%E9%B3%A5%E7%BE%BD%E7%B5%B5),in%20mid%2Deighteenth%20century%20Edo.

For more information on the impact of toba-e on modern day manga see Stephen Salel's post "The Art Historical Precedents of Manga, Part 4 of 5: Toba-e" at https://honolulumuseum.org/stories/2020/10/asian-art-2/the-art-historical-precedents-of-manga-part-4-of-5-toba-e/