This stunning wood block prints are called Ukiyo or pictures of the floating world. "Living only for the moment, savouring the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms, and the maple leaves, singing songs, drinking sake, and diverting oneself just in floating, unconcerned by the prospect of imminent poverty, buoyant and carefree, like a gourd carried along with the river current: this is what we call ukiyo."
In the mid eighteen century the city of Edo (Tokyo), the capital of Japan’s ruling shogunate was a flourishing metropolis. Buoyed by the economic growth, the chōnin class (merchants, craftsmen and workers) began to indulge in and patronise the world of arts and entertainment. The term ukiyo ("floating world") came to describe this hedonistic lifestyle.
The people of Edo, from pleasure seekers to teahouse beauties, kubuki actors, sumo wrestlers, and star-crossed lovers, became celebrities of this new world, their images celebrated in colourful woodblock prints.
These prints are printed on a fine quality ivory paper.
These are reproductions of old illustrations & in most cases will have the same imperfections as the original.
