Of the different ways I’ve been spending my sabbatical one of the most enjoyable has been studying and beginning to collect Japanese woodblock prints. This piece, Moonrise at Tokumochi, dates to 1922 and is my second major purchase. The artist, Takahashi Shotei, is especially known for his nighttime scenes – gradations of light and shadow, the atmospheric effects of the moon and lanterns, and quiet urban or rural settings.

