Combing Her Hair — 髪梳き
by Torii Kotondo (1900-1976)

	Artist:	Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) — 鳥居言人
	Title:	Combing Her Hair — 髪梳き
	Series:
	Date of first edition?:	1929/10
	Date of this artwork?:	1929 (may not be accurate)
	Publisher (first edition)?:	Sakai and Kawaguchi — 酒井川口
	Publisher (this edition)?:	Sakai and Kawaguchi — 酒井川口
	Medium (first edition):	Woodblock
	Medium (this edition):	Woodblock
	Format (first edition):	Large Oban
	Format (this edition):	Large Oban
	DB artwork code:	32216
	Notes (first edition)?:	Artist: KOTONDO TORII (1900-1976) Title: COMBING THE HAIR Dated: 1929, October Editions: 200 (Sakai & Kawaguchi edition, paper seal on verso, export edition); 300 (Kawaguchi edition, embossed on verso) Publisher: Sakai and Kawaguchi (blind-stamp) & ltd. Ed. Stamp verso; Seals: Artist Red Size: 13 5/8" x 20 1/2" Illustrated: Pinckard cat #3 pl.119 Re-issued in the series "Twelve Aspects of Women" circa August 23, 1988.
	Notes (this edition)?:
	Artist Bio:	Torii Kotondo (or Torii Kiyotada VIII) is renowned for his paintings and shin hanga prints of beautiful women. His woodblock prints, superbly carved and printed, are comparable with those of Hashiguchi Goyo and Ito Shinsui. Kotondo was born with the name Saito Akira in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. He was the only son among the five children of Torii Kiyotada, the seventh Torii master. The Torii school had a long tradition of painting and printmaking for the Japanese theater, extending back to the seventeenth century. Kabuki theater was still very popular in the early twentieth century and prints and painted posters were the primary means of publicity. Although Kotondo was mainly interested in studying history and archaeology, it was assumed that he would follow in his father's footsteps and join the Torii school. At age 14, Kotondo agreed to leave school and begin studies with Kobori Tomone, a yamato-e painter. Along with painting classes, Tomone taught Kotondo about the court and military practices of ancient Japan, satisfying his interest in history. A year later, he was officially adopted as the next heir of the Torii school and assumed the artist's name 'Kotondo'. While still studying with Tomone, he began designing illustrations for a theatrical magazine, Engei Gaho ('Entertainment Illustrated Magazine'), and painted kabuki posters and billboards. Torii Kotondo was the 8th Torii and the 5th Torii Kiyotada. His father was the 4th Kiyotada.