A thematic tour of the Edo period’s incredible innovations through the works of its woodblock virtuosos.

The Edo period (1603–1868) was an exceptionally productive era in Japan from a historical and artistic standpoint; later its influence would extend beyond the archipelago, as far as the West, where it gave rise to a passion for Japanese aesthetics and culture. The term ukiyo-e, which translates as "pictures of a floating world," refers to the woodblock color prints that were first created in the Edo period, by combining the talents of painters like Utamaro, Hokusai and Hiroshige with the absolute mastery of block carvers and printers. Hardcover, 368 pages.