Posted by Marc Kahn on October 16, 2000 at 03:16:53:
In Reply to: Toshi Yoshida, "The Garden of the Three Friends" posted by Philippe Callier on October 15, 2000 at 06:56:21:
Philippe,
I have one of the prints of this set and have been curious about some of the same questions that you ask. It is truly a beautiful example of Toshi's work.
I can tell you that my print was indeed produced using the "traditional craft of woodblock prints". There is bleed-through and some (very light) baren marking on the back.
A curious fact that you should know about is the nature of the framing which came from Franklin Gallery. The wooden frame was beautiful, with rounded, keyed corners. As I remember, there was a silk covered matte board. However the print was backed with cardboard and had suffered some toning damage. It is hard to imagine that they would use non-archival materials, but that's what happened. I have been told that this was Franklin Gallery's standard operating procedure. So, if you acquire one of these prints still in the frame, it needs to be removed from that hostile environment as soon as possible!
You may wish to check out this link to see pictures of this series and its predecessor series of birds and seasons.
Marc
: In 1980, a set of prints of the three friends (the pine tree, the bamboo and the plum tree) were sold by subscription by the Franklin Gallery, based in Pennsylvania, USA. The pamphlet calling for orders states that: "Each of the prints that comprise "The Garden of the Three Friends" will be an original work of art. And the artist, Toshi Yoshida, will be deeply involved at every stage of their creation. The carving of the 19 woodblocks from which each print is made. The paper, the colors, the individual preparation of the prints -- all are matters for his personal attention. So is the detailed examination of each woodblock print when it has been completed and pulled." I understand that the prints were commisionned by the Franklin Gallery and designed by Toshi Yoshida. But were the blocks carved in Japan by local carvers, or in the USA ? And where were they printed ? Were they produced using the traditional craft of woodblock prints, or were they produced using an industrial process ? What was the size of the edition ? Any information on this set would be appreciated.