An introduction to Ukiyo-e.
Ukiyo
Uyiyo is a Buddhist related term from the Japanese Middle Ages, and refers to the vanity of possessions, and the human desire for an ideal afterlife. When the Japanese Towagana Shoguns finally bought an end to the long running civil war in the early 1600’s and ushered in the start of the Edo era (which ran from 1603 - 1868), the resulting thriving economy encouraged leisure, and consumerism, and the term took on a more pleasure-seeking or hedonistic meaning, referring to the ‘Floating World’ - the world of theatres, and pleasure districts in the cities.
Ukiyo-e translates as Pictures of the Floating World ( ‘e’ being the Japanese for picture), and the prints depicted the things that were fashionable with the general population - actors from the Kabuki theatre, courtesans and beautiful women, life in the pleasure quarters of the city, scenes from Japanese folklore, history, and views of sites around Japan that became famous.
These prints were commercial products, mass produced, and aimed at, and enjoyed by the commoner, rather than the ruling classes - the Shoguns, and royal family.
The publishers judged what kind of prints would be popular, and would commission various artists to produce the initial sketches, as well as fund the woodblock carvers and printers to produce a run of the final prints.
The print shown here is an original print from the Media era by the artist Toshiba Mizuno “Moon Viewing” and is an example of the more traditional ukiyo-e print. The print was published in 1891, and gives an indication of how older ‘first edition’ prints degrade over time if not preserved.
You can see more detailed information on this print here.