Origami for Authors | Karen Kao
The Amsterdam canal house is built of massive grey cornerstones and variegated red bricks. A clock gable stands on top with a hook sticking out. The hook is for hoisting pianos and wardrobes and king-sized beds. The doors are too narrow and the stairs so vertiginous for anything wider than a laundry basket to pass. Bride at Nihon no Hanga. Photo credit: Karen Kao Inside this house hides the private collection of Elise Wessels. For decades, she’s traveled to Japan, bringing woodblock prints back to Amsterdam. Her museum Nihon no hanga is a treasure house of Japanese art from the full suit of armor that sits menacingly in the entry hall to the bridal couple who adorn the mantelpiece upstairs. But it’s the print collection we’ve come to see. One Hundred Aspects Of The Moon Yoshitoshi signature and seal. Photo credit: Karen Kao Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was a master woodcut printmaker (1839-1892) widely acclaimed for his collec...