W160xH220mm, Japan
This is an ukiyo-e print depicting a courtesan of Yoshiwara playing a game of go (published 1910s)
In the Edo period, the Yoshiwara area (now the modern Asakusa of Tokyo) was the only district of pleasure that was licensed. Unlike other red light districts in the world, courtesans are trained to be cultured, to be the ideal companion; waka poetry, the game of go, chess, playing cards, calligraphy, ikebana, tea ceremony, incense ceremony and other things.
W300xL220mm, Japan
This ukiyo-e print is a work by Baido Kunimasa (1848-1920); born Takenouchi Hidehisa during his career he used different names (go) for his works, Baido Hosai, Baido Kunimasa, Kochoro, Kunimasa IV, Kunisada III, Toyokuni V and Toyokuni V.
This print depicts the on going in a kimono shop. Wonder if it was something like a xmas shopping day, everyone looks really stressed out in the picture.
W110xH170mm, Japanese
The print belongs to the Tale of Genji, a classic Japanese literature which many consider to be the first and finest pose work novel. The author Murasaki Shikibu (11th century) was a noblewoman and lady-in-waiting, offer a glimpse into the live of the high courtiers of the Heian period. There are 54 chapters in the Tale of Genji, each represented by a individual crest (genji-mon/genji-ko). In this ukiyo-e print, the crest is the repetitive background symbols in dark and light blue, it is the 12th chapter (Suma). The print depicted Genji exiled in Suma for the scandal of his love affair with Oborozukiyo.
This is an ukiyo-e print of the Utgawa school. The Utgawa school was founded by Toyoharu and expanded by his student Toyokuni I who made it the most famous and powerful woodblock print school of the late 19th century.
L240xW150mm, Japan
This is an ukiyo-e print of the actor Bando Sampachi I (Heikyu) as Yawata no Saburo published in 1770. The print beared the tsubo seal of the artist Katsukawa Shunsho. Katsukawa Shunsho is the leading artist of the Katsukawa school which specializes in prints of the kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and bijinga (beautiful women). Shunsho pioneered in realistic portrait of the kabuki actors which contrast with the stylized prints of the Torii school with the individuality of the actor himself identified.
W280xL360mm, Japan
This is an Ukiyo-e Print published in 1862 of the topic of the Kanda Festival. Kanda Festival is one of the 3 Shinto Festivals in Japan; it is a festival to celebrate the victory of the battle of Sekigahara. The festival is biennial, in years of odd number in the western calendar. Originally the festival is held on 15th Lunar September, nowadays is held on the closest weekend to 15th May. On Saturday, there are a parade of floats with 300 people, on Sunday, provinces will bring over 100 small and large portable shrines to the Kanda Myojin. The Kanda area where the festival takes place is at the heart of tokyo, the uptown area.
W240xL360mm, Japan
This is a Japanese wood block print by the artist Kunichita, published in 1862 by Hiranoya. Kunichita was the founder of the Toyohara School and was one of the most famous ukiyo-e artist of his time. His love with the Kabuki theater led him to work on ukiyo-e actor prints (prints of the kabuki actors and scenes from the popular plays). In 1867, he was commissioned by the Japanese government to produce 10 pictures for the World Exhibition in Paris. This exhibition strengthen the Japonism influence in the European art world.
This print is about the Kabuki play where monk Sogen (played by Bando Hikosaburo) became infaturated with the beautiful courtesan Orikotohime (played by Sawamura Tanosuke). For this Sogen was expelled from the temple, tragically Orikotohime died and he was left alone.
Mountain Folkcraft 