Hartley & Marks Publishers Hishi, Canvas Tote Bag

“Ukiyo-e” (pronounced uu-kee-yo-eh) or “pictures of the floating world” is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced by the culture that bloomed in the urban centres of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka and Kyoto between 1603 and 1868.This pattern comes from a woodblock print created in the early 20th century by art publishers who meticulously enlarged small details taken from the works of the greatest artists of the Edo period. The ukiyo-e style of art experienced a resurgence during the 1900s when theatre companies refashioned the designs to create patterns for their costumes which, in turn, were so beautiful and admired that they inspired everyday fashion and kimono trends.