In this section or "Appendix", if you will, I have inserted 4 contemporaries of Hokusai who are currently regarded as near as possible to being equal peers of the great man himself. I think that they and a handful of others are quite rightly ranked as equals, to some a heresy, to others, a welcome insight. In any event, they are here to aid the reader in having a broader view of what was being produced in Edo at the time Hokusai was roaming the red light district and teaching his self-deprecated skills to his followers. There are many more worthy of our attention, in a cursory, comparative way or in-depth; links to some of these latter  exponents of Ukiyo-e are included below.

I haven't written a commentary on the individual works of the few artists, but have included a brief biography on each, as I'm sure the reader can feel their way through the associated images and find their own research pathways using a search engine, maybe a real library book from their college or town, and one or two of the included links.


Hiroshige. (1797–1858)
Overview: Charles Holmes' excellent brief biography and appreciation of Hiroshige's life and work
Sample of work:  A wide reaching and well laid out introduction to Hiroshige's work
Book: Ando Hiroshige: Master of Japanese Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints By: Adele Schlombs  Pub: Taschen   ISBN10: 4-7700-2730-3 ISBN13: 978-4-7700-2730-6
Available here: Amazon UK  


Utamaro (1753?-1806)
Overview: A brief but informative biographicalview with book and other research suggestions.
Samples of Work: A sample from Utamaro's Poem of the Pillow("Uta makura" ), with a strip of thumbnail links to others by this artist.
Book:
Utamaro: Portraits from the floating World   By: Tadashi Kobayashi (Translated by Mark A. Harbison) Pub: Kodansha International Ltd   ISBN10: 4-7700-2730-3 ISBN13: 978-4-7700-2730-6
Available here: Kodansha  


Kuniyoshi:  (1797-18)
Overview: Brief Biography Courtesy of The Kuniyoshi Project
Book: Here is a link to the kindle edition of a collection of Kuniyoshi paintings.  This next one is a paperback version version of Utagawa Kuniyoshi's 47 Ronin


Kunisada (1786-1865)
Overview: www.kunisada.de/
Samples of Work:  The Kunisada Project

David Bull Links:

Mokuhankan:
Davids mokuhankan Studio Site (the name is explained on the site...)
A Brief history of Surimono
David's brief but elegant History of Surimono
Ukiyo-e Heroes:
A wonderful subscription series of prints designed by Jed Henry and carved  by Dave Bull...every part/step of which is hand done or made including all the tools used, ... and a very special hand-made paper called: 'Echizen Hosho' made by a Japanese "Living Treasure",  Mr. Ichibei Iwano.  So, If you like the best.. then click on Printsfor subscription and Heroe's  for a view of the series so far....
'Hyakunin Isshu'
This is David's series of 100 fabulous Prints of Japanese Poets after Ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunsho, pub: Edo, 1775... (that's right! the self-same person who was for a while, Hokusai's Sensei...)Japanese Poets like:  Sei Shonagon (The Pillow book of Sei Shonagon: an immensely detailed account of court life in eleventh-century Japan a brilliant read! it's also a film which I haven't seen so cannot advise on that one...sorry!) ,  Murasaki Shikibu (Genji Monogatari - "The Romance of Genji" one of Japan's most famous tales! and with 54 chapters... is nowhere near the longest....the 106 volumes of the 9 series set of Nansō Satomi's "Hakken-den" or: "Tale of Eight Dogs" written in the second half of the Edo Period, a Japanese epic illustrated tale running to 38 million words has that privilege... by the way, the author Kyokutei Bakin went blind before finishing and dictated the rest to his daughter-in-law...., )
Woodblock Encyclopedia
An example of David's sharing of his experience and knowledge, this "Enquire Within" Encyclopedia on the subject does exactly what is says on the tin... on all things pertaining to this subject..and it's still growing. Highly recommended!
Accessing David's Monthly Subscriptions
This is the Main Page for the whole range of subscriptions but also his "Surimono" etc... Plus there is a message form on the same page for further information if required...

Hokusai and Ukiyo-e Links

Selected Further Reading On Hokusai

TITLE: Hokusai: Paintings, drawings and woodcuts
AUTHOR:  J Hillier
PUBLISHER: Phaidon P; First Edition (1955)
REFERENCES: ASIN: B0000CJ96N
BOOK LINKS:
A: Barnes & Noble(USA)  
B: Amazon  
C: Abe Books  
D: Waterstone's (UK)

TITLE: The Hokusai Sketchbooks: Selections from the Manga
AUTHOR: Michener, James A.
PUBLISHER: Charles. E. Tuttle. Co. Inc.  First Pub: 1958 (15th Edition: 1989)
REFERENCES:  ISBN 10: 0804802521 / ISBN 13: 9780804802529
BOOK LINKS:
A: Barnes & Noble(USA)  
B: Amazon  
C: Abe Books  
D: Waterstone's (UK)

TITLE: Hokusai: Genius of the Japanese Ukiyo-e
AUTHOR: Seiji Nagata.
PUBLISHER: Kodansha International Ltd   First Pub: 1958 (15th Edition: 1989)
REFERENCES:  ISBN:  9784770024794
BOOK LINKS:  
A: Barnes & Noble(USA)  
B: Amazon  
C: Abe Books
D: Waterstone's (UK)

Various Ukiyo-e Sites

"The Guide to the Ukiyo-e Sites of the Internet"
This is an excellent online resource for those who are searching for anything on Ukiyo-e

The Guide to viewing Woodblock Prints"
This is a comprehensive series of articles, which take the form of a set of very well-informed critiques, on the techniques of Ukiyo-e and how to view on various of the prominent Edo-based Ukiyo-e artists including Hokusai, Hiroshige and all the other artists I have cited in this article. (This site is currently being updated but is available, ("business as usual"), during the re-fit, nonetheless), There is another school of Ukiyo-e that originates from the Osaka & Kyoto region called: "Kamigata-style" or "Kamigata-e" which is almost exclusively concerned with pictures of Actors, Kabuki theatre etc.

The Restoration of an Ukiyo-e screen painted by Utagawa Toyaharu
The screen was made and painted circa 1782 (Edo)  An engrossing video (c. 36.5mins ) of the restoration of a painted japanese screen, narrated, incidentally, by Sir David Attenborough, with the participation of a couple of others who inform us of a typical Geisha / Oiren's life

Sample Surimono
Please note that there is an elegant history of Surimono amongst the "David Bull-related" Links above.
Surimono 1:
A fine brief history and sampling of history of the Kakemono

Kakemono 1:
This Tea Ceremony site sells  kakemono particularly for just such a purpose... decoration of a tea-room. However, this site also has much of interest in the arts including ceramics, bamboo objects, videos, books on the tea ceremony etc

Kakemono 2: These examples of Bijin-Ga kakemono are found at Ross Walker's " "Cento-Hexology" series of books

Sample Cards
This is a source for (UK) those who would like a charming and unusual present for friends. A curious fact: I got a copy, the only one I’ve ever seen, by the way, of Hiroshige's 53 Stations of the Tokaido, (55 4.5" x 2.75" cards in a cardboard box, itself covered in flowery green + white origami-paper, the accompanying text booklet was all in Japanese), in 1991 in a shop near Kings Cross Main line Station in London. The shop disappeared less than 3 days later!

General Links:

Museums & Galleries
JAPAN
Tokyo National Museum
Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art
Tokyo National Museum of Crafts
Adachi Museum of Art
Mita Arts Gallery

USA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The National Gallery of Art

FRANCE
Ukiyoe-art Gallery

UK
Victoria and Albert Museum
British Museum
Japanese Gallery
Japan Print Gallery


Japanese History and Culture
Useful site with an Official Guide for visitors to Japan with many useful articles and signposts.

Samurai-Related links:

Swords / Blades
A stunning wakizashi... when you're on the page just  scroll down slowly and remember to breathe... again, jawdropping is optional....The sword was supposed to be, by some schools of thought,  imbued with the soul of the samurai wielding it. Since Samourai were often presented with their "Daisho" or set of Long and Short swords, ( Usually matched Katana + Wakizashi ), by their Lord or "Daimyo", I assume a certain bond of loyalty was implicitly taken on at the presentation and "transferred" to the sword itself; This sword which left it's scabbard to support the cause or protect the samourai's Master and, in other circumstances, the honour of the samourai himself. The sword comes in pieces including the "Tsuba" or hand-guard which came in many forms often richly decorated with animals, plants etc

Samples and Makers of Armour
Armourers
Modern samurai armour is very much in demand as can be seen on this site.
Little Star Enterprises cater for most aspects of Japanese armour including the various levels of an army like officer, spearman, general etc..
Museums Galleries
This link is to an excellent suit of armour at the V&A in London with an accompanying plus excellent short articleexcellent short article

These related samurai items include several exquisitely made items including a "Gumbai", or Japanese "War Fan" picked out with gold constellations and a simple yet elegant Kumihimo braid for hanging from the wrist or belt....  and here is a set of.3 mounted Samurai in full armour that look like they are about to charge off the screen... look closely for the details, they use reasonably hi-res pictures on this site.

Kumihimo
Kumihimo is "Japanese Braiding" and has schools all over Japan that jealously guard their more obscure patterns. Kumihimo has famously been used to hold all the "lamellar" armour worn by Ashigaru and Samourai in battle. It is a very precise and painstaking craft but many practice it as it can be done on a basic level using a portable "Loom", There are about 5 main types of "Loom used in braidmaking, the most commonly used is called a marudai and is what the portable versionis derived from.  Another use of Kumihimo is to bind expensive wood-and-laquer-bound books, and finish them off with an ornamental knot like the "Pan Chang", imported from China.

In this detail, of a piece of armour, can be seen, using the magnifying area, the  kumihimo braidsthat holds the small wooden or leather plates together that form the actual armour

Kumihimo sites in Japan
This link is to a Japanese handmade crafts site produced by a trade association in Tokyo which has many fabulous examples of everything from bamboo kitchen utensils to kumihimo braid

This is the history section of Iga's,   main Kumihimo site  with old photographs and examples that are amazing to see! Just scroll down if you don't read Japanese and click on what are obviously the headings on this page.

Other Kumihimo sites
Link to Jacqui Carey and her Company

Here is a good Braiding Suppliers

Written by Peter-The-Knotter for the Art History Project

Join the Project | AH Project Team | CommunityRelations

Written by Peter-The-Knotter for the Art History Project

Join the Project | AH Project Team | CommunityRelations