Ukiyo-e is valued around the world as a unique form of Japanese art. From the late 19th jto the early 20th centuries, Japanese culture, and particularly Ukiyo-e,fascinated the artists and writers of Europe and U.S.A. and has a vast impact on Western culture. The golden age of Ukiyo-e prints was from the late 18th century to the end of the Edo period in 1868. There were many different artists and many different genders :attractive ladies, actors, scenery, flowers and birds. Thanks to the superb techniques of the carvers and printers, large numbers of Ukiyo-e were created and remain for us to enjoy even today. This is perhaps the only example in history of wood block prints developing into popular works of art.