Monthly Archives: November 2011

The Pachyderm in the Room – Kuniyoshi’s Elephant

Posted on November 28, 2011 by toshidama

The elephant has long presented artists of all genres with a problem. The elephant is exotic, clearly enormous and spectacular but in captivity it lacks the dynamism, the heroism that its reputation suggests. Very few artists have successfully represented the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hokusai, Japanese Art, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, Kuniyoshi, ukiyo-e art, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What to look for in a Japanese Print – Part II

Posted on November 14, 2011 by toshidama

If one were to ask what makes a Japanese woodblock print special or valuable or rare, it would be hard to come up with a single, definitive answer. There are some common factors, of which condition is predominant, but there … Continue reading →

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The Japanese Zodiac – Animals in Ukiyo-e

Posted on November 9, 2011 by toshidama

Eisen, Tiger in Bamboo The subject of the Japanese (Chinese) zodiac would take many hundreds of pages accurately to describe. It is a complex system of Buddhist symbolism, planetary observation and Imperial obeisance. The Japanese Zodiac and calendar were introduced … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian Art, Floating World, Japanese Art, Japanese Art Gallery, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, Japanese Zodiac, Kunichika, Kunisada, Toshidama Gallery., ukiyo-e art, Uncategorized, Utagawa Yoshiiku | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments