Traditional artisans come together to create ukiyo-e enhanced Rolling Stones merchandise

Available are limited-edition woodblock prints, T-shirts, and tote bags!

Craftsmen skilled in traditional methods of creating woodblock prints, methods which have been in practice for over 400 years, have teamed up to give new flair to a world-renowned icon: the Rolling Stones‘ symbolic tongue and lips logo.

The artisan team included a master Japanese painter, who created a design including elements of well-known ukiyo-e prints by artist Katsushika Hokusai (who was active from the early to mid-1800s), like his iconic Mt. Fuji and Great Wave Off Kanagawa prints.

The designs were then meticulously hand-carved by expert craftsmen, including each minute detail from the billowing clouds to the dragon’s scales. Skilled printers then went to work with the woodblocks to print the designs onto high-quality Japanese paper. Adding proper of color and gradation effects required multiple steps to accomplish.

▼ Carving the design into woodblocks

▼ Hand-printing the final design

The end result is a blend of old and new, East meets West, in a look that’s sure to please fans of rock and traditional Japanese art alike. There are three designs available to purchase as a limited-edition print: Mt. Fuji and lips in red (limited to 200 prints), Mt. Fuji and lips in blue (limited to 100 prints), and dragon and lips (limited to 300 prints), for 86,400 yen (US$775) each.

The Mt. Fuji and lips designs are also available on T-shirts for 4,860 yen each, and tote bags for 4,212 yen.

Orders can be made online here.  While you’re decked out in your new gear, you may also want to cool down with a beer in an ukiyo-e printed can, or some sake in ukiyo-e printed glasses.

Source: Ticket Pia via Artist Database
Images: Ticket Pia (edited by SoraNews24)

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