宗之の家来、虎を射る (Warrior and Tiger)

Designer: Yajima Galkutei | Carver: David Bull | Printer: David Bull

Size: 21cm by 18cm | Enlargement | Shipping Code: [M] ?

Price: $ 90.00£ 72.75€ 83.00 [Currently reprinting]

Description: [From Dave's notes for his original edition of this print in his Surimono Albums: "When I first saw this print, a design by Yashima Gakutei, I assumed that it was a scene from a kabuki drama, but I was incorrect; this story is older than that - it is an episode from the old set of tales known as the Uji Shui Monogatari - the Tales of Uji. The particular story concerns a warrior of old who is involved in a violent incident with his master and flees to Korea to escape punishment. While there, he distinguishes himself by killing a tiger that has been ravaging local villages, and this act of bravery serves to exonerate him for his previous misdeed when he later returns to Japan.

"This is without question the most technically advanced print I have yet made. I inlaid boxwood inserts at two places in the keyblock, so that the warrior's face and the calligraphy of the poetry would be on this hard wood, far denser than cherrywood and thus allowing finer lines to be carved. There are more blocks than I have ever used before, the registration is critical in absolutely every area of the design, and the metal powder that you see on the clothing and other places on the print is far more difficult and time-consuming to print than 'normal' colour. But of course I think that the end result is well worth it ..."