Most Westerners, says Salter (a British artist who studied woodblock technique in Japan), are familiar with Japanese woodblock art from single-sheet ukiyo-e prints depicting kabuki actors and courtesans. Here she offers illumination of another category of woodblock prints: ephemeral works--calendars, news-sheets, toys, board games, decorative papers, among other items--created with considerable skill for a popular audience. Salter begins with a history of printing in Japan (first developed for the dissemination of Buddhist texts) and a description of the careful method involving a carver, an artist and a publisher. She then discusses the production and content of the popular works in the context of a highly regulated culture, nevertheless intent on play. Her text is supported by examples of extravagantly vibrant, ingeniously playful color prints mainly from the Edo period (1603-1868). The book concludes with profiles of certain prolific artists who have remained largely invisible in Japanese art history, and a glossary and selected bibliography. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)