Title: 芳年の化け物 Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts. Ed. 9/100.

Series: 江戸墨百色 A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo.

Binnie’s significant 江戸墨百色 A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo series took his studies of the human body and passion for traditional ukiyo-e imagery, fusing them into a ten print series featuring nude models with elaborately tattooed imagery - each referencing famous themes of work from Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print masters Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), Suzuki Harunobu (c.1724-1770), Keisai Eisen (1790-1848), Toshusai Sharaku (active c. 1794-1795), Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815), & Utagawa Hiroshige (1791-1858). Each print of the series has a non-tattooed counterpart print design.

Artist: Paul Binnie (1967-Present).

Signed, Sealed & Dated:

Series title cartouche to upper right margin. Signed in pencil along with artist kanji signed in gold to lower left of image. Beneath, each print within Binnie’s A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo series was adorned with a unique seal - in this case Binnie echoed the print’s story-telling (man’s worst failings: their demise to insatiable greed, jealousy & revenge), playfully constructing a skull-like image alike to the head of Oiwa (from the tale of Oiwa - one of Japan’s most famous ghost stories).

Print title to upper right of image (in the style of Yoshitoshi’s signature) “Yoshitoshi no + depicted image of a bakemono”. Bakemono are traditional, transforming, supernatural creatures/monsters common throughout Japanese folklore. Here, Binnie cleverly references Yoshitoshi’s print 貪欲ノ婆々 The Greedy Old Woman, from his series: 和漢百物語 One Hundred Ghost Stories from China and Japan, which depicts the demise of a greedy old woman from The Tale of the Tongue-Cut Sparrow. The print illustrates her coming end as she opens a large basket - in the hope of treasure - to be welcomed by a ghouling party of bakemono. One can clearly see the face of the ghostly like bakemono Binnie has chosen to take through to the title’s cartouche. Published 2004.

Medium: Woodblock Print.

Paper Size: H: 42.80cm x W: 29.10cm.

Condition: Shipped Framed (High quality grained grey/brown frame by specialists “The Framing Workshop”, Bath, UK, measuring: H: 71.00cm x W: 57.50cm). Print in extremely fine condition and fabulous example of Binnie’s sumi shaded baren sujizuri - circular baren/swirling printing technique evident to background. Please refer to photos / Contact for any further questions & condition report. For 芳年の化け物 Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts, Binnie embellishes his reference to the spirit of Yugao from Yoshitoshi’s print: 源氏夕顔巻 The Yugao chapter from “The Tale of Genji” - from his famous 月百姿 One Hundred Aspects of the Moon series -, with a lovely white lacquer.

Notes: 芳年の化け物 Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts is Binnie’s initial introduction of prints to the ten design run series, whereby Binnie released 芳年の化け物 Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts along with 国芳の猫 Kuniyoshi's Cats as a pair in late 2004. This design expands on Binnie’s initial non-tattooed print “Celadon Censer” - carving further blocks to integrate compositions from Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) ghostly, murderous, warrior driven print themes which drew from ancient Japanese and Chinese mythology & folklore.

In 芳年の化け物 Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts, Binnie transposes the image of Kiyotaka’s ghost from 吉野山夜半月 伊賀局 Mount Yoshino midnight-moon - Iga no Tsubone (one of Yoshitoshi’s most notable prints from 月百姿 One Hundred Aspects of the Moon) - onto the model as a fabulously tattooed/illustrated back-piece. However, alike to Binnie’s approach to his work throughout the series, he playfully twists the image we see here. Unlike Yoshitoshi’s original, where we see Iga no Tsubone - a loyal courtwoman to the emperor - having successfully peacefully appeased the ghost of Kiyotaka against his revenge on emperor Go-Daigo, here we see the winged Kiyotaka holding Iga no Tsubone’s head aloft.

Leading on, the model’s left thigh shows the depiction of Yoshitoshi’s demon from 貞信公夜宮中にて怪を懼しむの図 Sadanobu threatening a demon in the palace at night (from the series: 新形三十六怪撰 New forms Thirty-Six ghosts). In Yoshitoshi’s original we see the demon Ibaraki clutching the hilt of Sadonobu’s sword. Binnie depicts a consequent vision where the demon has lost his arm for such a daring gesture.

Finally, Binnie completes the composition with a beautifully lacquered portrayal of the ghost of Yugao from Yoshitoshi’s 源氏夕顔巻 The Yugao chapter from “The Tale of Genji” (similarly from 月百姿 One Hundred Aspects of the Moon), materialising from the censor’s smoke.