In 250 Years of Japanese Prints, The Art of Japan showcases, among many Japanese woodblock prints, In the Mirror of the House of Blue Dishes, an arresting image by Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900). This unusual vertical triptych tells the story of the samurai Aoyama Tessan, who possesses ten treasured blue-and-white ceramic plates. The central image in the triptych stands alone as a strong and haunting figure, but the entire triptych is necessary to illustrate the dramatic episode. The Mark Hotel, 25 East 77th Street, Suite 215
Dai Ichi Arts features a beautiful stoneware Oribe-glazed vase by the contemporary ceramicist Yamaguchi Makoto. He was inspired by the "ouroboros,” an ancient symbol of death and rebirth, expressing this with the form and flow of the glaze, which originated in the 16th century Momoyama Period. 18 East 64th Street, Suite 1F
In SHINTO REDUX: Kami || Shin-magatama by Hiroyuki Asano, Carole Davenport spotlights a mesmerizing and rare Shinto deity, from the Heian period, 10th -11th century. Based on nature and the spirit dwelling within mountains, trees, waterfalls, geographical sites and creatures, as well as venerated deceased human beings, Shinto was the first native religion of Japan. Leigh Morse FA, 22 East 80th Street, 5th floor
Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints presents Fine Japanese Prints Including Samurai/Spirits: A Collection of Kuniyoshi, featuring Snow at Zojo Temple by Kawase Hasui, dated 1922. Hasui’s spare design of a man in western dress walking towards the majestic vermilion main gate of the Zojo Temple is also his first depiction of this Tokyo landmark, a subject he returned to in several famous designs in the following decades. This pre-earthquake work was produced in a limited edition of 100 prints that was by subscription only. The Mark Hotel, 25 East 77th Street
Among Fine Japanese Prints, at Hara Shobo, is Hiraizumi Konjikido (Golden Hall), a delicate snowy winter scene by Kawase Hasui, dated 1957.
The Mark Hotel, 25 East 77th Street
At Ippodo Gallery New York, Koichiro Isezaki’s contemporary spin on traditional Bizen ware in his yō series is the focal point of The Breath of Clay – The Life of Koichiro Isezaki’s Contemporary Bizen. Appearing to sink into itself, this beautiful collapse-form ceramic vase, graced by delicate flashing, is reminiscent of the flame traveling upwards, leaving soft hues of orange and brown. 32 East 67th Street
In the exhibition, Japanese Art, Mika Gallery/Shouun Oriental Art features Welcoming Descent of Amida and Twenty-five Bodhisattvas, a 13th century Pure Land sect Buddhist painting from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) in gold, color and ink on silk. info@mikagallery.com or phone 646-339-7046
Joan B Mirviss LTD juxtaposes contemporary ceramics with traditional woodblock prints in two simultaneous exhibitions: Restraint and Flamboyance, Masterworks of Mino and Ukiyo-e from the Collection of George Crawford. Katsushika Hokusai is arguably Japan’s most celebrated artist and many of his woodblock prints have become iconic images of Japan. While many designs from the artist’s Thirty-six Views of Fuji series, circa 1830, are better known, this dramatic and far rarer scene of Amida Waterfall stands as one of the artist’s most compelling compositions, effectively conveying the power of nature. 39 East 78th Street, Suite 401
This metal vessel called Ritsu (Rhythm) by Iede Takahiro, one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary metal artists, stands out in The Four Elements in Japanese Arts: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, the exhibition at Onishi Gallery. The artist, inspired by traditional Japanese bamboo basketry, painstakingly weaves strips of rigid metal of different colors, heating and hammering each strip. 521 West 26th Street
The showstopper at Giuseppe Piva’s exhibition Japanese Art and Antiques is Tsutsumi Do Tosei Gusoku, a 17th -18th century ceremonial suit of Samurai armor bearing the kamon of the Mōri family, from the Edo period. The details of the armor, the kawari kabuto, the use of luxurious materials and the cuirass covered in brocade are all characteristics of the flamboyant style of the Mōri clan.