We're so excited to introduce our new collection of archival Japanese wallpapers. These Shin-Bijutsukai designs by artist Furuya Kōrin date from 1896-1903.

Shin-Bijutsukai (New Oceans of Art) was the name of a Japanese design journal compiled by Furuya Kōrin and and published by Unsōdō around the turn of the twentieth century. At this time, Japanese art was entering a new chapter – one where tradition and modernity met on the printed page. Korin’s Shin-Bijutsukai publications, in which he designed and edited full-colour woodblock plates from the leading Japanese artists of the day, including himself, remain as some of the finest examples of this. They depict the latest trends in kimono textiles, folding screens and lacquerware while documenting a visual dialogue between Japan and the West. Shin-Bijutsukai marked a watershed moment in Japanese publishing history when design books were no longer just for reference but artworks in their own right.

Five archival Shin-Bijutsukai designs have been transformed into wallpapers - Falling Leaves, Katabami, Meiji Stripe, Sakura and Bamboo Weave - each honouring the spirit and subtlety of the original woodblock prints. 

Shop the new collection here.

Falling Leaves (1896–97) ~ Furuya Kōrin

Originally a Shin-Bijutsukai woodblock print on paper, these falling Maple leaves remind us of nature’s impermanence but also renewal. They give us license to pause. Reflect. Recognise the fleeting moments, dance in the autumn winds, while we remember that the spring will come again, and beauty can be found in all seasons.

Katabami (1897) ~ Furuya Kōrin

Originally a Shin-Bijutsukai woodblock print on paper, this canopy of creeping wood sorrel symbolises resilience, persistence, and prosperity. A classic Meiji-era design element, Katabami is tougher than clover and a true survivor among plants. Growing in overlooked places like stone paths and the edges of rice fields, it thrives in adversity, its modesty masking its quiet strength.

Meiji Stripe (1896–97) ~ Furuya Kōrin

Originally a Shin-Bijutsukai woodblock print on paper, this small-scale stripe was most likely intended as a kimono textile design. Its clean rhythm and stylised flora are typical of Meiji textiles of that period where traditional Japanese motifs were combined with bold Western decoration. The natural forms here include bamboo shoots, bound by snowflakes, and Ume ­­­­(Japanese plum blossom). Meiji Stripe is a record of a time when Japanese and Art Nouveau aesthetics profoundly influenced each other following Japan’s reopening to international trade in the 1850s. In this version of a stripe, contrasting backgrounds live respectfully and in harmony, side by side.

Sakura (1897–98) ~ Furuya Kōrin

Originally a Shin-Bijutsukai woodblock print on paper, this fun floral transforms cherry blossoms into a blooming tapestry of form and colour. In Japanese culture cherry blossoms hold particular significance. Their brief but glorious spring blooms teach that life is beautiful precisely because it is short-lived. Joy and sorrow will both pass.

Bamboo Weave (1902–03) ~ Furuya Kōrin 

Originally a Shin-Bijutsukai woodblock print on paper, this green ikat (kasuri) was most likely intended as a kimono textile. The fine vertical lines of the design ripple like reeds in the wind, as light weaves trellis patterns across the breathing bamboo. The design embodies the Meiji-era pursuit of modern beauty - harmony between natural form, rhythm, and refined abstraction. It speaks of a moment between old Japan and the modern world, where beauty became both pattern and philosophy: a woven work in all senses.

Styling and art direction by Gemma Moulton. Photography by Lorenzo Belli.