Japanese Samurai Woodblock Print Signed by Yoshitoshi Mori

Original vintage woodblock print by Yoshitoshi Mori (1898 - 1992). This print depicts a Samurai warrior. The strong earthy colors and contorted position of the main character is typical of Moris style. Marked with the artists chopmark and signed. Mori was a Japanese artist who specialized in kappazuri stencil prints. He was for many years a member of the mingei folk craft movement, and was close with Yanagi Sōetsu, founder of the movement. Yoshitoshi is said to have influenced several major 20th century print artists especially in Japan. His colorful works generally depict scenes from the kabuki theatre, or subjects related to folk traditions and festivals. He is known for using earthy colors in his work, and for often positioning his figures in a somewhat contorted and dynamic mass. Mori's prints depict the past world of Tokyo's plebeian lowlands (Shitamachi) with its festivals, craftsmen and women of the demimonde. The mainstay of his great talent lies in his ability to not merely