Issued in 1980 by the Franklin Mint Gallery and published by the Yoshida Family Publishers, this woodblock series (a triptych) was sold individually as well as the series, framed or unframed. Each print is 15″x31″, enabling these beautiful prints to be both stunning in their detail and quality, but also oversized in their impact when most ukiyo-e and shin-hanga prints are 10″x15″ (oban) or smaller. Each is pencil-signed by the artist in Japanese (whereas the rest of his prints are signed in western script).
The three prints in the triptych are:
- Pine Tree of the Friendly Garden
- Bamboo Tree of the Friendly Garden
- Plum Tree of the Friendly Garden
This print is the Plum Tree of the triptych.
The Woodblock Prints
This print is kakemono sized (approximately 15″ x 31″ each), making this a large and powerful composition. The print is in excellent condition with strong color and a clean image area. The only flaw is tape residue on the upper edge of the verso margin (residue from the tape that was used by the Franklin Mint when they framed the pieces which left residue on the top margin of the verso).
About the Artist
Toshi Yoshida was the son of Hiroshi Yoshida, one of the most famous woodblock print artists of the 20th century. He followed the family tradition, and centuries of old Japanese craft, in woodblock printmaking while adopting and developing his signature style. His close relationship with his father was instrumental in the pursuit of his art; together, father and son traveled Japan and the globe, examining and sketching people and places around them.
