Customer Reviews

One Hundred Aspects of the Moon: Japanese Woodblock Prints by Yoshitoshi

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This is a beautiful book, nicely organized. The poetry and folk lore give the reader a peek into a complex and not ofter understood look at Jpanese society. As a printmaker I appreciate the work but loved the layout and the quest the collectors made over two decades to find all 100 of these prints, that are over 100 years old, in pristine condition.

The Museum of International Folk Art, New Mexico, has all the woodblock prints in the series 100 ASPECTS OF THE MOON by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. During the Edo period, 1600-1868, Ukiyo-e, or woodblock print pictures of the floating world, meant economical, popular art for the Japanese. It was the first Japanese art in which artists didn't have to depend on a few elite clients. Instead, they found success in mass production, for city shops, open-air kiosks and street vendors.

At first, Yoshitoshi was caught up in the brutality of violent times, by printing demons, murderers and warriors. Then, in the 1880s, he took to Western-styled perspective, space and unlikely color combinations. He did all this, though, within limits from Noh drama. Noh's point was the least amount of detail. It was also on a person just before doing something or while going over something from the past. Both were found in Yoshitoshi's moon prints.

With them, he broke ground in such a way as to move the world, what with post-impressionist America and Europe coming upon his prints. For he put the faces of ordinary people onto figures from Chinese, Indian and Japanese pasts.

Before becoming industrialized, Japan had a calendar system based on the phases of the moon. The Japanese still honor the full moon night, known as tsukimi. On August 15th, the Japanese offer dumplings, eulalia and seasonal fruits, to ask for excellent harvests.

Tamara Tjardes has organized Yoshitoshi's prints according to figures from literature, myth and music; the floating world; and battles. From them, one of my two favorite blocks is "Ishiyama moon." Lady Murasaki wrote the world's first novel, in 1021, with her adventures of Prince Genji. Yoshitoshi showed her on the balcony of the Ishiyama temple, moon-gazing while starting to write.

The other's "A country couple enjoys the moonlight with their infant son." A farmer and his wife cradle their infant son. They drink from a kettle of sake. They're framed by the trailing vine of the yugao. Yoshitoshi printed the scene, to honor these lines from his friend, the poet Keika: "Pleasure is this: to lie under the moonflower bower; the man in his undershirt; the woman in her slip"!

This is a beautiful book; showing fine quality pictures of one of the best Japanese print artists. It's an economical way to see/handle georgious works of art without the investment of time and money nor liability of origionals.

Book as described. They shipped within the time allowed, but rather slowly and near the end of the time.

Yoshitoshi is probably the best woodblock artist of his time an this tribute need no words