This 40th anniversary volume, compiles the finest Japanese woodblock prints from museums and private collections across the globe, lifting the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form within their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world," to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan.

From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. Discover the four pillars of the woodblock print-beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions and delve into the obscure in prints where demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures torment the living-stunning images that continue to influence Japanese manga, film, and video games to this day.

Author: Andreas Marks
Hardback
512 pages
21.7 x 15.6cm