David's annual gift print suggestion ...
Quite a number of the collectors of my prints are purchasing them as gifts for other people. It seems that my prints make a good choice for this - pretty much everybody seems to like them!
Whether for Xmas, Mother's Day, somebody's birthday, or just 'for fun', a woodblock print can make an interesting and unusual gift. So I have prepared a little package just 'made to order' for that difficult chore - finding a nice gift for people who already have 'everything' they need/want ... but who certainly wouldn't mind receiving something a little 'special'!
Each year I select one of the designs from my many series, get the blocks out of the storeroom, print up a batch specifically for this purpose, and put it into my Mokuhankan catalogue. The gift print for this year is a small-scale reproduction of a kacho-e (nature print) by Koryusai.
To make the print, I carved the image onto blocks of mountain cherry, and then used fine quality hand-made Japanese paper to pull the impressions.
Shall we zoom in a bit closer?
A special feature of this kind of print is the way that the printed lines get embossed into the paper. To see this in the way that the viewers of that century did, one must turn off any overhead lighting and hold the print near a window or lamp. The light falling horizontally across the print will then highlight the embossments and allow the full texture of the beautiful Japanese paper to be enjoyed.
Let's go a bit closer still ... (these next two shots were taken under my desk lamp ... a different 'colour' of light ...)
And ... just because we can ... still closer!
Packaging ...
I have prepared a little folder ...
... with the print mounted carefully on a backboard, and accompanied by a short descriptive pamphlet giving some background. The print is the standard Japanese 'hagaki' size, which works out to around 6 x 4 1/2 inches.
The print package is slipped into an envelope ... which is wrapped in a traditional wrapping paper (pattern will vary) ... and mailed in an envelope with current commemorative stamps. (stamps will vary from package to package ...)
Price ...
The price of this print is US$30, including packing and postage (air mail) to anywhere on the planet. I can send it to you, or directly to somebody on your behalf as a 'gift' item (see details on the order form below).
(Note: I have also printed up more copies of the design I used last year, a design of a flying crane by Suzuki Harunobu, and you can order this one instead if you wish. Just check the appropriate box on the order form below.)
Last year I prepared a little video clip which introduced these gift prints; it was linked on a tech website focussing on people who were looking for a gift for their mother. (I haven't yet had time to make a new one for this year ... but anyway, this will help you see what the prints are like ...)
A short QuickTime movie of David
introducing this print!
(2 1/2 minutes ... 2.5Mb)
View in LightWindow | Direct link to video
The prints are made completely by hand ... if you want to read more about the process I use to create them, there is plenty of material in this section of the website.
If you like this idea of a woodblock print as a gift, but would like to view a larger selection of them, here are a couple more options:
- A selection of single prints is available from my Mokuhankan online shop.
- Sets of prints - available for gift subscription - are outlined on this page.
Thank you!
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Gift Print Order Form Please fill out this form to have one of the prints sent to you (or a recipient of your choice). The price is $30.00, and you will receive one of the hand-made prints as illustrated above, sent Air Mail to the address you enter here. This is the 'quick order form' for a single copy of the print, sent by airmail as described above; if you wish to purchase multiple copies, combine your order with other prints, or choose the EMS express shipping option, please use the shopping cart over on my Mokuhankan website instead. |
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