Gyotaku Fish Prints
Gyo -- Fish Taku -- Impression

Pronounced "GEE - OH - TAH - KOO"

"Gyotaku" is the ancient Japanese folk art of painting fish. The first Gyotaku were created to preserve the true record and size of species caught by Japanese anglers as far back as 1862.

A Gyotaku print is said to be created by "using templates from the hand of God." Quite simply pigments are used to transfer images of natural objects. These relief prints or rubbings can be hand colored to produce a unique and beautiful art form.  The two prints by Dewees shown on this site are rubbings applied to fine silk, mounted to rice paper and hand painted.