One Hundred Views of the Moon

We recently had the pleasure of hanging a few genuine Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the 19th century, and I'm so grateful to be able to show them to you.

These are from a series called One Hundred Views of the Moon by noted artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.

​From Wikipedia:

​The subjects are drawn from various sources in Japanese and Chinese history and literature, Kabuki and Noh theatre, and even contemporary Tokyo, linked only by the presence of the moon in each print. The creation of mood according to the phase of the moon was exploited for its poetic and expressive possibilities. This was the most successful and still the most famous of Yoshitoshi’s print series. People would queue before dawn to buy each new design and still find the edition sold out.

Yes, you read that right... there was a time when Japanese prints were as coveted as concert tickets.

The homeowners had fallen in love with one of the prints years ago (I believe it was the one on the left) and then slowly added to their collection as more of the series became available.

They also had a book about the prints, which they shared with us while we were visiting.

When we compared the homeowners' copy with the one in the book, we noticed that the samurai on the left had lost the purple colors from his trousers. You could still see the pattern in the framed print, but it was very faded. I didn't realize that the colors in these prints were so fugitive. However, I actually think it improved the image, because the purple design was rather busy. In the homeowners' version, the main focus was on the blue of the sky.

We hung another samurai print from the same series nearby. I'm also sharing the Wikipedia version so you can see the wonderfully expressive quality of the warrior's pose.

We also installed a few pieces in their home office, which had an equestrian theme. I really enjoyed these vintage images from Oregon. I always think of Oregon as a rainforest, but of course, Eastern Oregon has a much drier terrain.

The homeowners also had these charming portraits of their beloved horse.

I always enjoy seeing the interesting pieces that people acquire over the years. If you've got a cherished collection that needs to be handled with care, we'll be happy to help.

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