Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Went out to Ozuma Kaname's Studio Yesterday......



He is such an amazing individual and his studio is insane!! Seriously stacks and stacks of original paintings just piled on shelves. It was quite a day.....

Monday, June 14, 2010

Tattoos in Ukiyo-e - Rare Book for Collectors

This book is epic. A beautiful cloth bound hardback filled with full page color reproductions of ukiyo-e prints that feature tattooed individuals. Heavily prevalent are firemen portraits from the edo period when tattoos served as emblems of protection, strength and heroism. This collection boasts over 80 prints as well 11 double page fold outs. It is the only book available devoted to tattoos in Ukiyoe and is a collectors dream both in presentation and content.

Size: 8.5 " x 12" - Pages: 211 - Published: 1976 - Price: $475 Hardcover w/Silpcase


Click here to order off the website: Rare Book on Tattoos in Ukiyo-e

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For this and tons more books on Japanese Tattoo Art and Design click the cat...

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Noh Tales - a comprehensive look at Noh Dramas - with English Translations. Aaaaaawesome!!

This book is awesome!! The presentation is beautiful and the photography simply stunning. This book delves into Japanese Noh theater with essays, translated into English, on the significance of Noh Masks, the distinctive qualities of Noh actors, a brief history of Noh and most importantly, plot outlines of 30 of the most popular Noh dramas. It recounts stories, in English, that feature Hannya, that elusive yet popular Japanese tattoo icon that is so often misunderstood, as well as other popular characters like Nue and Demons. I cannot stress enough how impressed I am with this book. It's a brilliant, easy to follow resource and a must have for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of Japanese history and symbolism.

Size: 13cm x 21cm - Pages: 286 - Published: 2010 - Price: $52 - Binding: Softcover



Click here to order off the website: NOH TALES









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Friday, June 4, 2010

Showa Era Poster Book - I love these!!

This book is awesome. It is a beautiful hardback filled with Japanese adverts from the 40's and 50's. It boasts 192 pages of imagery with an index in the back in English and an afterward on the development of posters in Japan by Natsuko Tajima. This book is excellent for anyone interested in Showa era (WWII) Japanese imagery. Rife with beautiful demure women, in tune with that period, this book is a good resource for artists and designers alike. It is appx. 7"x 10" and well bound. $65

Click here: 40's & 50's Pin Up Posters Book

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