Ancient No. 1 (Mukashi No. 1)
- Date:
- 1960
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; edition 4/20
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Created in 1960 as edition 4 of 20, this color woodblock print draws on the concept of "mukashi," the Japanese word for ancient times or long ago. Masaji's title invokes deep history not through depiction of recognizable artifacts but through abstract forms that suggest geological strata, weathered surfaces, and the slow accumulation of time made visible in layered material. The limited edition of twenty impressions reflects the sosaku-hanga emphasis on the print as an original artwork rather than a mass-produced reproduction. Each impression in the edition would carry slight variations in ink density and pressure, the unavoidable traces of hand printing that sosaku-hanga artists valued as marks of individual authorship rather than flaws to be eliminated.
More Prints by Yoshida Masaji
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ancient No. 1 (Mukashi No. 1) was created by Yoshida Masaji (吉田政次) in 1960.
Ancient No. 1 (Mukashi No. 1) depicts landscapes and abstract.