Tag Archives: Asian Art

Art Between the Wars: “Seikigun” and Experiments in ‘Synthetic Art’

Marquand Library is fortunate to be the only institution to own a complete 7-issue run of the Japanese serial Seikigun [世紀群], published and hand-distributed in 1949 and 1950 by the artist/writer organization, The Century Association [Seiki no Kai]. The eclectically produced pamphlets were … Continue reading

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Early 20th-Century Japanese Photography: Hakuyō Magazine

Published between 1922 and 1926, Hakuyō is, historically speaking, one of Japan’s most important photography magazines. It was in this journal that the early 20th century artistic evolution from traditional Pictorialism to Modernist Expressionism was documented–inadvertently–with photographs and essays about … Continue reading

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Public and Private Sides of the Kabuki Actor

Woodblock-printed books and single-sheet prints related to the kabuki theatre were in high demand during the Edo period (1615-1868). It is estimated that more than a third of all woodblock prints published during this era were “kabuki prints” (kabuki-e). Like … Continue reading

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JAPANESE ‘POP-UP’ TEA HOUSES: Chaseki okoshiezu

As early as the seventeenth century–long before there was 3-D computer-modeling for home renovations on HGTV–Japanese carpenters (architects) created detailed three-dimensional paper models of famous tea houses, designed by the great tea masters of the past. Sakata Sakujirō,Chaseki okoshiezu [Folding-drawing … Continue reading

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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Legendary Imperial Hotel (Teikoku Hoteru): “The Jewel of the Orient”

On September 1,1923, Frank Lloyd Wright’s legendary Imperial Hotel [Teikoku Hoteru] opened to the public for the first time. Located near the emperor’s palace in Tokyo, it was built by the Japanese government to house foreign visitors and guests of … Continue reading

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AMERIKA 101

We all remember that classic tale of George Washington as a young boy—no, not the one about him chopping down the cherry tree—the one where he met with the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) on a balcony overlooking a random … Continue reading

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ON DAZZLING JAPAN AND EUROPE IN THE 19TH CENTURY

In 1804, when the book Picture Book Annual Events of the Green Houses (Seirō ehon nenjū gyōji) was published in Japan, who would have guessed that ninety years later it would take Europe by storm? However, by 1891, this two-volume … Continue reading

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Banned Books: Kunisada’s “Tales of Genji”

Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864) is often considered the leading woodblock print artist of the 19th century. A “superstar” in his own time, much of his fame and popularity can be credited to his beautiful and dynamic book illustrations parodying the classic … Continue reading

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1950s Woodcuts and Artists’ Exchanges

Marquand recently acquired an inscribed first edition copy of Huang Yongyu mu ke ji 黃永玉木刻集 , a survey of the best of Huang’s early printmaking work. Although Huang is perhaps best known internationally for later ink paintings of flora and … Continue reading

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