Tag Archives: floating world

Male Tragedy in Japanese Woodblock Prints

Posted on January 6, 2017 by

Well, I guess that it’s deeply unfashionable right now to talk of the male struggle, the tragedy of the male and so on – there’s a contemporary trend to upbraid men for being… ‘pale, male and stale’. The fact is … Continue reading →

Posted in Floating World, Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, Male Tragedy, Male Tragedy in Japanese Prints, Shunga, ukiyo-e, Uncategorized, Utamaro, Yoshitaki | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kinbaku Part II – Seiu Ito and his Rope Bondage Fetish

Posted on June 10, 2016 by

Back in 2012 I wrote a piece on Kinbaku, having spent an evening with the very charming Midori, an exponent of sexual bondage and rope play… we had dinner. At the time, I wasn’t really familiar with the art of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hell Courtesan, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, Kinbaku, Kunichika, Seiu Ito, ukiyo-e, ukiyo-e art, yoshitoshi | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Buying Japanese Woodblock Prints… a Print per Day at Toshidama Gallery

Posted on April 25, 2016 by

Chikanobu (1838 – 1912)  Jidai kagami (A mirror of the ages): The Bunsei era (1818 – 1830); Upper Inset: Dancer and people in front of a sign for nishiki-e, 1897 The photograph doesn’t do any justice at all to this … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Collector, Asian Art, Chikanobu, Edo, Hirosada, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Meiji Art, Toshidama Gallery., ukiyo-e, ukiyo-e art | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hiroshige… Japanese Tits and Kacho-e

Posted on April 22, 2016 by

Hiroshige (1797-1858) Kacho-e of a Great-tit on a Plum Branch, 1830’s. This is a very pretty print of a Japanese Great Tit called Parus minor, also known as the Oriental tit. Surprisingly, this inoffensive bird has been in the news … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiroshige, Japanese Art, Japanese prints, Japanese Tits, japanese woodblock prints, ukiyo-e art | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Karazuri – A Print per Day

Posted on April 17, 2016 by

Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) Bando Hikosaburo as Naosuke from Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan,  c 1863 The fabulous double portrait by Kunisada features some very spectacular incised decoration in the surface of the print itself, around the hair of the standing figure. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Gauffrage, Japanese Art, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Karazuri, Kunisada, ukiyo-e art | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kunisada… Namazu and Giant Catfish

Posted on April 16, 2016 by

Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)  Ichikawa Danzo Subduing a Giant Catfish, c1820. Once again, Japan has been struck by a catastrophic earthquake. The mid-April quakes that hit the southern island of Kyushu, caused much devastation with at least 34 people thought to … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian Art, Edo, Floating World, Japanese Demon, Japanese earthquake, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, Kunisada, Namazu-e, ukiyo-e | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Toshidama… A Print per Day – Kunichika

Posted on April 14, 2016 by

Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900)  Flowers of Edo: A Series of Chivalrous Men (Edo no hana Isami zoroi): Ichikawa Kodanji IV, 1865. What a serious fellow this is… it’s a portrait of a kabuki actor, Ichikawa Kodanji IV. Kodanji was a tragic … Continue reading →

Posted in Ichikawa Kodanji, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Kunichika, Meiji Art, Tattoo Art, Tokugawa Clan, Toshidama Gallery. | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment