Another beautiful edition de luxe from Hotei Publishing, this volume presents two series by Taiso Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), a late print artist often remembered for his fantastic images.
The first series, "One Hundred Tales of China and Japan" was completed in 1865 when Yoshitoshi was in his mid-20s but already an acknowledged master draughtsman. The second, "New Forms of Thirty-Six Strange Things," was completed 20 years later.
Both are filled with the fantastic beings that made Japanese prints so popular during Europe's fin de siecle. Ghosts, demons, giant toads and monstrous rats disport themselves on these pages and seek to both alarm and entertain.