Mori Yoshitoshi – Kappa-Ban –

“The Spirit of a ‘Child of Edo’
Iizawa Tadasu

Mori Yoshitoshi’s prints depict the past world of Tokyo’s plebeian lowlands, the so-called Shitamachi, with its festivals, craftsmen, and women of the demimonde. …

Kappazuri, or stencil prints, have a long history in Japanese art. Through kappazuri, Mori Yoshitoshi has recreated the world of the Shitamachi townspeople during the time of his youth as well as themes from The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike. In illustrating these classic  tales, Mori reveals the drama of human emotions as seen through a critical eye rather than the splendor of medieval court life. …”