The head of the Snake Spirit breaks out of the fan print format of this design, with gold horns and orange-red hair spilling onto the background.

The last performance of Onoe Baiko VII recorded by Binnie, and coicidentally also by Tsuruya Kokei, was as the demon of Rashomon gate, disguised as an old woman.

The 'Hat Dance' in the play 'Musume Dojoji'.

A unique print: Binnie's first Kabuki 'kappazuri' print is a stylized portrait of famous actor, Bando Tamasaburo, as Agemaki, a high-level courtsean in the paly 'Sukerorku'.

Masaoka is the governess of a young lord in the play 'Meiboku Sendai hagi'. Here she is depicted at the beginning of the scene that will see the death of her son.

A jigsaw cut block, in a contemporary style.

This series is a tribute to Yoshida Hiroshi, the 'master' referred to in the series title.

The first print of Binnie's series, 'Travels with the Master', it is of an impressively large size and is the biggest landscape in Binnie's whole collection. It shows a section of the canyon close to Yoshida's 1925 print.

Here are some words on the print by Paul Binnie:

I have been working for over two years on an exceptional new print, the first design in my new series ‘Meishou to no Tabi’, or Travels with the Master. It is a very large design called “Cloud Shadows, Grand Canyon”, printed on fine hand-made washi paper, and created in an edition of only 100. Destined to become one of my best-known images, it will be my 100th Japanese print to date, and the story of its conception and creation is fascinating.

I decided to make the design the first in a series of prints paying homage to Yoshida Hiroshi, the early 20th Century Japanese printmaker, whose work I collect, since he made a well-known print of the Grand Canyon in 1925; the new piece was conceived as a sort of dialogue with the past, in which I as a contemporary printmaker could add my voice to that of one of the greatest print artists of 80 years ago. I wanted to make the link with the master who inspired the new piece in the title of the series, and thus pay my respects to an artist who has so influenced my landscape work.

In all, 32 colours are employed in the print, including mica and special techniques such as ‘gomazuri’, grainy printing, and ‘baren sujizuri’, where lines or swirls made by pressing with the edge of the baren are used for aesthetic affect. It takes approximately three months or so to print such a large piece with so many colours.

This is a new state of the 2006 commissioned design, 'Ho-o no Yume' (Phoenix Dream). It is the tattoo version of 'Yume no Ato'.

Some might feel an Utamaro influence on this version, in the diamond-shaped 'shobori' and the pale grey ground, and indeed there is a famous self-portrait of that great master painting a phoenix mural in Seiro Ehon Nenju Gyoji (A Picture-book of the Annual Events in the Yoshiwara) of 1804.

This is a new state of the 2006 commissioned design, 'Ho-o no Yume' (Phoenix Dream). It is the non-tattoo version of 'Ho-o no Yume'.

This is the non-tattoo version of 'Hokusai no taki' (Hokusai's Waterfalls).

The figure appears to escape the margins of the picture plane completely. This is a tendency in many of Paul Binnie's prints.

On the model's back is a Kunisada design.

For this non-tattoo version of 'Kunisada's Danjuro', the artist presents a more visceral design.

This is the non-tattoo version of the print 'Yoshitoshi's Ghosts'. Replacing the ghostly smoke for a plume of 'gofun' printed in 'bokashi', the feel of this version is quite different.

This print shows Binnie's reference to Shin Hanga artists such as Kawase Hasui.

This series contains 3 designs.

The Toshogu Shrine in Ueno Park is a favourite cherry-viewing spot.

This series contains 3 designs.

Nakamura Shikan is now a Living National Treasure, and is one of the leading 'onnagata' on stage today. In 'Kagamiyama' (Mirror Mountain), this actor plays the faithful maidservant Ohatsu, who avenges her mistress's disgrace and subsequent suicide by planning the murder of her lady's cruel tormentor, Iawfuji.

This series contains 5 designs.

The late Nakamura Utaemon VI was a Living National Treasure and was considered by many to be the greatest Kabuki actor in post-war Kabuki theatre. He is represented here are the courtsean Agemaki in the play 'Sukeroku', with a hint of vulnerability, showing his advanced age.

This series contains 5 designs.

'Kuruma biki' is a scene in the long history of the play 'Sugawara denju tenarai kagami' (Sugawara's Secrets of Calligraphy), in which triplets come to blows. Two are loyal to Sugawara, and their brother to his evil rival. The former, loyal brothers accost the carriage of the evil lord and pull it apart.

Here is a recognisable portrait of Ichikawa Kanjuro in a Shin Hanga (new print) inspired style.

Ichikawa Danshiro is seen in this print as Benkei, in anther variant on the theme of loyalty to Yoshisune as seen in the print 'Kanjicho'. Note the extraordinary 'kumadori' make-up that is unique to this role.

In this tattoo print, the red maple leaves, stylised thunderbolts and gusts of wind all suggest autumn.

This print is executed in a fairly Sosaku Hanga (creative print) style and uses only seven colours The dancer looks up at he new temple bell, having destroyed the previous bel at Dojo Temple in an earlier incarnation as a fiery serpent.

Narukam is the thundergod and begins the play as a Buddhist ascetic, who has captured the dragon of rain with a spell, which is only broken when he is seduced by a court lady causing his powers to vanish. The pose in this print is known as the 'pillar-wrapping' mie, and Narukami's costume seems to burst into flames.

Shirabaku is a short play, a typical 'aragoto' (or rough style) play, used to announce the main actors contracted to each Kabuki theatre. Here, the current Ichikawa Danjuro XII performs in the play created by Ichikawa Danjuro I over three hundred years ago.

The eighth and final design in the Kabuki juhachiban group, Oshimodoshi is a short scene sometimes added to the end of certain dramas. A superhero appears to challenge and defeat an evil spirit. Here, the large piece of bamboo behind him is the weapon he uses to try to defeat the evil serpent, and the end of the play sees him creature with it while the snake poses atop a great temple bell.

Yanone is a very stylized aragoto' (rough style) play in which Soga no Goro, a young man hoping to avenge the murder of his father, sharpens a huge arrow, then has a dream telling him where and how to kill the culprit.

The fourth and latest design in this series, this addition is a dramatic and emotive female portrait.

An unusual printing technique is used for the shibori (tie-dyed) pattern on the red kimono, which imbues a realistic feel to the dyed silk. This involves deeply embossing the plain paper with the white pattern; then the red colour is gently printed over the surface of the flat block. In addition, hand-applied ‘teardrops’ of nikawa (glue-size) in the mica represents her fallen tears, which are unique to the piece.

This print is made is on a heavier paper from Iwate prefecture to facilitate the very deep embossing.

This is a new state of 'Engawa' ('Veranda'), which has been sold out for many years.

It is the accompanying non-tattoo version of 'Utamaro no shunga' ('Utamaro's Erotica'), with a deep raspberry-pink background.

The print now forms part of the 'Collection of Eastern Brocade Beauties Series.