Posts Tagged ‘Japanese’

21
Aug

DPD 21 August 2010: Dragonfly and Pumpkin

   Posted by: Tidbit    in Daily Public Domain Image, Images from other sites

Kabocha ni tonbou - Dragonfly and pumpkin
“Kabocha ni tonbou” (Dragonfly and pumpkin), woodblock print by Gekko Ogata (1859-1920), between 1890 and 1920. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LOC #LC-DIG-jpd-09138.

I was at my daughter’s soccer practice a couple of days ago, and the field was full of dragonflies flitting around. I was sitting in the grass on the edge of the practice field, and dragonflies kept flying by at eye level.

So I thought I would share a dragonfly-themed graphic with you all today. This one is a full-color woodblock print made between 1890 and 1920 by the Japanese artist Gekkõ Ogata (1859-1920). [Okay, that's supposed to be a straight line over the 'o' but I can't find that option in the special characters....] It’s called ‘Kabocha ni tonbou’ which means ‘Dragonfly and pumpkin’. Click on the graphic to view it full-sized. I found this beauty in the Library of Congress digital collections.
Enjoy!
Peace,
Bekka
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14
Jul

DPD 14 July 2010: Japanese Musicians in Traditional Dress Playing Traditional Instruments

   Posted by: Tidbit    in Daily Public Domain Image, Images from other sites

Japanese musicans playing traditional instruments
Japanese musicians playing on traditional instruments – the samisen, fuye, taiko, and tsuzumi; c. 1910×1920. Photographer unknown. From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LOC #LC-D41-26

This is a posed photograph from c. 1910×1920. I love how composed these women look. This photo was taken by an unknown photographer for the Detroit Publishing Company. The collection of the DPC is now the property of the Library of Congress, whose information on the collection says:

This collection of photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company Collection includes over 25,000 glass negatives and transparencies as well as about 300 color photolithograph prints, mostly of the eastern United States. Subjects strongly represented in the collection include city and town views, including streets and architecture; parks and gardens; recreation; and industrial and work scenes. [From the LOC website
You can read more about the collection at the Library of Congress’ website, where there is an article on the Detroit Publishing Co. Click on the image to see it and download it full-sized.

Peace

Bekka

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8
May

DPD 8 May 2010: Beauty in a Black Kimono by Torii Kiyonobu

   Posted by: Tidbit    in Daily Public Domain Image, Images from other sites

Beauty in a Black Kimono - Edo Period Print
‘Beauty in a Black Kimono’, c. 1710-1720 by Torii Kiyonobu (1664-1729). Found on Wikipedia Commons.

Okay, I’m back. It’s been a long week. I have recovered from having abscessed teeth, an infection, and turning 42. Okay, you don’t exactly ‘recover’ from turning another year older, but since birthdays have never really bothered me, it actually helped me feel better. Besides, according to Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, I am now ‘the answer’. Just don’t ask me what the question is. *grin*

Today’s image is artwork by one of the great Japanese printmakers of the Edo period, Torii Kiyonobu I, who, along with his father, was one of the founders of the Torii style / school of painting. I found this lady to be elegant and mysterious, which, I have to admit, is how I wish I was. I haven’t exactly reached that goal, but it never hurts to dream.
Torii Kiyonobu was born around 1664 in Osaka, the second son of actor and painter Torii Kiyomoto. He and his father moved to Edo
(modern day Tokoyo) around 1688, where Kiyonobu established himself as a painter and printmaker. The Torii school has had an association from the beginning, which continues to the present day, with the kabuki theaters. Much of Kiyomoto’s style is bold, partially because much of his work was posters and other material for the theaters.
Torii Kiyonobu’s son was also a printmaker and had the same name, and so they are refered to as Torii Kiyonobu I and II to differentiate them.
There is a brief article about him on the English Wikipedia, which you can read here.
Peace,
Bekka
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