Especially beautiful when viewed from East to West, the Bell Tower is a symbol of Kawagoe, loved by the city’s locals. The new works were made through a collaborative process between several artists, as per tradition that has remained unchanged since the Edo period.

The creation of Vestiges of Edo at Bell Tower begins with artist Mateusz Urbanowicz, who illustrates the landscape of Kawagoe based on the publisher’s artistic direction. The final illustration draft is passed onto woodcarver Senrei Sekioka III, who takes approximately 2 months to carve the woodblocks based on the illustration over 2 months. The carved woodblocks are then handed over to printer Tatsuya Ito, who finally renders the illustration into woodblock prints. The colours are printed from woodblock to paper in order from light to dark, and the landscape gradually takes shape. The washi used is Echizen Kisuki Bousho, a type of premium paper handcrafted in Fukui prefecture. Traditionally used for ukiyo-e since the Edo period, it is both strong and supple to withstand the multiple layers of colours rubbed into each sheet of paper when printing ukiyo-e.

About Vestiges of Edo at Bell Tower (Toki no Kane Edo no Omokage)

Artist: URBANOWICZ Mateusz
Woodcarver: SEKIOKA Senrei III
Printer: ITO Tatsuya
Year: 2021

A former castle town situated not too far from Tokyo, Kawagoe is a city where the beauty of historical architecture still remains to this day, and loved by locals today as “Koedo”, or literally “little Edo”, thanks to its historical and cultural connections to Edo (ancient Tokyo).

We are proud to announce Vestiges of Edo at Bell Tower, the second of our landscape series Vestiges of Edo that launched in the summer of 2020. Produced in two versions, these landscapes feature Toki no Kane, the iconic Bell Tower of Kawagoe, whose bells have continued to resonate throughout the city for over 400 years.

Both works are aizuri, which is a genre of ukiyo-e that only uses different shades of blue (ai = indigo, zuri = print). In Noon, the pure whiteness of the clouds is enhanced by the contrasting brisk, blue hues, while the slight hint of red in Evening conveys a gentle, summer twilight. The fluffy clouds, often found floating in summer skies, are raised in relief to give them a soft yet dynamic finish.

Price*
Noon: $550, printed in a limited edition of 100
Evening: $770, printed in a limited edition of 20

Details
Size: Chuban 9.52 x 7.28 inches (24.2 x 18.5 cm)
Paper: Echizen Kisuki Bousho

*Attention
- Each work is signed by the artist.
- Each work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
- Edition numbers will be chosen randomly.
- At UKIYO-E PROJECT every print is considered unique, aligned with the Edo period philosophy that each ukiyo-e is an “original” piece of work.
- They will be packaged and sent in a specially designed, paper folio.
- The artwork is sold unframed.

Artist & Artisans

Sequence Prints

Please click on the right arrow to view the printing process.

COLLABORATION WITH COEDO BREWERY

COEDO Brewery is a craft beer maker based in Kawagoe city, Saitama Prefecture, known for their high quality beer brewed with carefully selected ingredients and local water. This summer, they are launching Vestiges of Edo at Bell Tower, a limited edition beer inspired by the homonymous landscapes produced by UKIYO-E PROJECT. The original beer is a fresh and dry beer perfect for the summer, and the label will be designed with both Noon and Evening on special washi paper.

This collaboration between ukiyo-e and beer was born through their mutual respect for craftsmanship, and their desire to pass traditional culture onto future generations.

COEDO’s brewery sits upon a beautiful hill in Higashi Matsuyama city of Saitama prefecture. Instead of aiming for a bold originality, their philosophy is to take care of every detail to achieve a delicate balance, and in “raising” their beer from start to finish.

COEDO decided on including koji and yuzu as a nod to ukiyo-e as Japan’s most emblematic art form - koji is a national fungi that is foundational in Japan’s fermentation culture, and yuzu is loved all over the world as a Japanese traditional citrus. Koji not only plays a vital role in the fermentation process of brewing beer, but also helps generate a rich aroma. Add to that yuzu’s refreshing fragrance, and we have a dry and sophisticated, Japanese Style IPA 4.5%.

The melange of 4 different hops create a sweet and fruity aroma that reminds us of tropical fruits such as mangoes, and the addition of yuzu gives a punch of freshness to the taste. Since koji helps break down sugar, the beer is light and dry - with its bright, golden color, it’s the perfect beverage to cool down from the upcoming summer heat.

*Shipping starts sequentially from October 6th 2023

Photography: Kuroshiro Studio
Text on the COEDO collaboration: Ayano Yoshida