Ichimaru (1906-1997) combined her experience as a geisha with an extraordinary talent as a vocalist and musician to become a unique figure in the social history of twentieth-century Japan. Determined to distinguish herself, she studied music with the best teachers to be found in Tokyo's "floating world," or pleasure district. Ichimaru secured a recording contract in 1931 and never looked back as she won international renown. 
In keeping with the geisha tradition of elegant dress, Ichimaru accumulated a striking collection of kimono over the course of her long career. After her death, the collection was given to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. In this colorful, well-informed, and satisfying little book, three members of the gallery's curatorial staff tell lchimaru's life story and place it in the context of the floating world and the larger world of Japanese culture. They also provide detailed information on kimono construction, materials, dyeing and stitching techniques, styles and the cultural connotations evoked by those styles, and the secret language of kimono imagery. Color photographs accompany their descriptions, and Ichimaru's life is illustrated with color and black-and-white images.

The Kimono of the Geisha-Diva Ichimaru

Arts & Photography

TILL, Barry

Warkentyne, Michiko

Patt, Judith

Graphic Design

Pomegranate

The shin hanga (?new print?) movement flourished in Japan for almost fifty years after being set in motion and nurtured by publisher Watanabe Shozaburo (1885?1962). Employing the traditional ?ukiyo-e quartet a production system consisting of artists, carvers, printers, and publishers?shin hanga attracted Western as well as native artists. The studio teams created woodblock prints that updated traditional ukiyo-e (?pictures of the floating world?) prints by including Kabuki actor portraits, ?beauties, ? and landscapes and other nature themes, often birds and flowers. With lavish illustrations and expert commentary, Shin Hanga: The New Print Movement of Japan details the shin hanga movement and presents splendid reproductions of works by its principal artists.

Shin Hanga: The New Print Movement of Japan

Individual Artists

The strictest and purest of poetic forms, the Japanese haiku contains in its seventeen sound characters a reference to a season as well as a distinct pause or interruption. Cherry blossoms and swallows might refer to spring; red maple leaves and deer usually imply autumn. These seasonal allusions emphasize the essence of haiku: nature and its ephemeral beauty.
The graceful, evocative haiku featured here were composed by the renowned Japanese haiku masters of the past four hundred years, including Matsuo Basho, Taniguchi Buson, and Kobayashi Issa. The deceptively simple poems--rendered in English with Japanese calligraphies and transliterations--are paired with exquisite eighteenth- or nineteenth-century paintings and ukiyo-e prints and twentieth-century shin hanga woodcuts from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada. With their depth and delicacy, wide range of subtle hues, and time-honored focus on landscapes, birds, and flowers, these artworks--like their haiku counterparts--quietly capture a moment in time.
Haiku: Japanese Art and Poetry presents thirty-five pairs of poems and images, organized seasonally. The Introduction details the origin and development of haiku, the lives of the most famous poets, and the obstacles faced when translating the concise yet complex lines.

Haiku: Japanese Art and Poetry (English and Japanese Edition)

History & Criticism

Pomegranate Communications

Kiyoshi Saito (Japanese, 1907 1997) was born in Aizu, where little had changed as the rest of the nation underwent rapid modernization. A craving for this sort of tradition, wedded to a powerful creative impulse, led the young artist to leave his sign-making business and devote his life to art. Working in printmaking with unconventional tools, determined to master all steps of a craft commonly divided among drafting, carving, and printing specialists, Saito made one-of-a-kind prints. Encompassing the full range of Saito s oeuvre, the 90 prints reproduced here are drawn from the collection of Canada s Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Includes an interpretive essay from Barry Till, curator of the museum s Asian art collection.

Masterful Images: The Art of Kiyoshi Saito

Ceramics of Mainland Southeast Asia

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

This publication documents the history of visual arts in Victoria (British Columbia), the spread of the West Coast Modernist Arts Movement, and the support and involvement of the local community. The first essay focuses on the contribution of director Colin Graham who built upon Emily Carr’s legacy to establish a contemporary art gallery in her community. The second essay discusses the development of the city’s art scene from a quiet Edwardian-like state to its current rich and vibrant identity. The final essay explores the development of the Gallery’s renowned Asian art collection. Amply illustrated with works from the collection and historical photographs.

Vision into Reality: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Early Years, 1951-1973

MORRIS, MICHAEL

Hughs, Mary Jo

Art Gallery of Greater Vicoria

The 17th century Tokyo potter named Banko made pottery in a unique fashion with shapes and decorations include flowers, birds, monkeys, sea creatures and human figures. The late 19th century saw a revival of the Banko style and pieces were made in great numbers. Historical information on early 20th century Japanese Banko ware is quite scarce. This publication discusses the period and features approximately seventy whimsical pieces, both glazed and unglazed, as well as marbleware, from one of the largest private collections in the world.

Fanciful Images: Japanese Banko Ceramics

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Books by TILL, Barry