Can you spot them all?
This piece was done in a modern shin-hanga style, which was dominant in the early 1900s at the peak of Japanese woodblock technique. Shin-hanga prints are known for their intricate realism, and require many dozens of impressions with hand-carved wood blocks. It was a ton of work to make those prints, but the low yen compared to higher valued European currencies in the early 1900s made it economically viable.
I would love to make this into a woodblock print eventually. Let's see if it's popular before I sink all that time and money into the endeavor!
The left caption translates to 'pocket' and 'monster'.
The right caption is an excerpt from the Kojiki, one of Japan's oldest written works from the early 700s. The line translates to 'I vow that I shall catch'.
Archival pigments on acid-free handmade Japanese paper.
Every print is signed and sealed by the artist.
Measures 12x17 inches.
