Rokurokkubi (a long-necked monster)

December 18, 2011 7:43 PM

"This site is a catalogue raisonné of the art of Utagawa Kuniyoshi. It contains over 5,000 images, counting multi-sheet compositions as single images. An undertaking such as this can never be considered complete..." An archive of the work of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a 19th century print maker from Japan. Some highlights include sumo wrestlers, triptychs from Genji, the Zodiac, and Tanuki having fun (slightly NSFW). [_{Via Pink Tentacle.}]

In addition to digital copies of the prints, the site also holds links to information about Kuniyoshi's work, including:

• A bibliography of reference resources,
• a brief biography,
• a glossary of terms,
• a guide to this genre of print (ukiyo-e),
• Kuniyoshi's evolving signature,
• and a guide to Japanese print publishers...
...among other things. Ukiyo-e was last featured on Metafilter in this post from 2003, which still features mostly working links.

posted by codacorolla (4 comments total)

This is great, thanks for posting it!
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:33 PM on December 18, 2011

Oh. my. goodness! This ought to keep me out of trouble for quite a while. Mmmmm.
posted by Anitanola at 8:51 PM on December 18, 2011

For those of you who are in Tokyo over the winter, the Kuniyoshi exhibition is at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in the Roppongi Hills complex. Also Tokyo Art Beat link.
posted by gen at 1:20 AM on December 19, 2011

One of the best: Octopus Games and, further down the same page, Frog Kabuki. (the third image on the page is NSFW)
posted by tavegyl at 2:19 AM on December 19, 2011