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| Artist: | Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) — 鳥居言人 |
| Title: | Snow (Yuki) — 雪 |
| Series: | |
| Date of first edition?: | 1929 |
| Date of this artwork?: | 1980s (may not be accurate) |
| Publisher (first edition)?: | Sakai and Kawaguchi — 酒井川口 |
| Publisher (this edition)?: | Ishukankokai — 遺珠刊行会 |
| Medium (first edition): | Woodblock |
| Medium (this edition): | Woodblock |
| Format (first edition): | Large Oban
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| Format (this edition): | Large Oban |
| DB artwork code: | 33753 |
| Notes (first edition)?: |
Artist Torii Kotondo
Title: "Yuki" (Snow)
A lady is warming herself under a "kotatsu" (Japanese traditional foot warmer usually built into the floor). The snow is falling outside.
Publisher Sakai/Kawaguchi
Medium Original Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Print
Date: October 1929.
Sheet size: 18-1/4 x 11-3/4"
Notes: Embossed title in the lower margin reads: "Yuki".
Dated and signed in the upper right: Showa 4 (1929), followed by the circular artist's seal reading: "Kotondo".
First printed as a 300 sheet domestic edition and a 200 print export edition.
Reference No. Female Image #172
Re-issued in the series "Twelve Aspects of Women" circa August 23, 1988. |
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| Notes (this edition)?: |
| The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies:
Title Snow
Artist Kotondo Torii 1900-1976
Signature Kotondo
Seal artist's seal
Dated originally in 1929, this is a re-carved edition published in late Showa
Publisher Ishukankokai
Technique/Medium Woodblock print
Impression excellent … (re-carved edition) printed on a "sanso" water marked Japanese paper
Colors excellent … fine gradations
Condition excellent
Note carver Koike Shigeru, printer Uchikawa Matashiro
Width 13.2 inches = 33.5 cm
Height 19.1 inches = 48.5 cm
Literature Newland, Amy R.; and S. Hamanaka, "The Female Image: 20th Century Prints of Japanese Beauties", Leiden: Hotei, 2000, ISBN 90 74822 20 7, - pg. 129, pl.172
Note This print was hand-made by skillful artisans after a great original of a famous woodblock print. Sheets printed during the artist's lifetime are either very expensive or no longer available. |
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| 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.
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