Masterful Illusions

Vivid portraits of Kabuki actors on and off stage, warriors, legendary heroes and heroines; depictions of courage, loyalty, romance, passion, ghosts, dreams and the beauty of the natural world - all are encompassed by the prints included in "Masterful Illusions". The richly illustrated book includes essays by an international group of scholars that elucidate the historic, economic and cultural environment of the Edo period in Japan.
Contents: Masterful illusions - the Anne van Biema collection of Japanese prints; kabuki; Osaka kabuki actor prints - artists as patrons; warriors and heroes; court classics and popular prints - poetry and parody in Ukiyo-e