Woodblock Print by Yoshikazu: Archer with Mt. Fuji

Snow-capped peak looks calmly down on a rider and a tangle of battle.

This japanese woodblock print of an archer with Mount Fuji by Yoshikazu is from Japan, and is ca. 1850. It is ink on paper. Archery, or kyudo, is an old Japanese martial discipline, and woodblock artists often showed archers as warriors of legend, set against dramatic landscapes. Printed scene in muted olive, tan and black tones, with a tall peak rising over trees and low buildings. A dark horse carries a rider above a group of smaller figures, and the paper is darkened and stained. It is 10 inches wide and 14.75 high.

Plenty of action, with the mountain refusing to join in.