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| Artist: | Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) — 鳥居言人 |
| Title: | Rain (Ame) — 雨 |
| Series: | |
| Date of first edition?: | 1929/10 |
| Date of this artwork?: | 1930s (may not be accurate) |
| Publisher (first edition)?: | Sakai and Kawaguchi — 酒井川口 |
| Publisher (this edition)?: | Kawaguchi — 川口 |
| 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: | 34932 |
| Notes (first edition)?: |
Artist Torii Kotondo
Title Ami (Rain)
Medium Original, Limited-Edition Japanese Woodblock Print
Date 1929
Publisher Kawaguchi/Sakai
Reference No Female Image, # 173
Size 16 x 10 "
Editions: 200 (S&K first edport edition), 300 (S&K first domestic edition).
Notes: Embossed title in the lower margin reads, "Ami" ('Rain'). Dated and signed center right, "Showa yonnen jugatsu Kotondo ga" ('Showa 4 (1929), October, picture by Kotondo'), followed by rectangular artist's seal reading "Torii".
Embossed joint publisher's seal in the lower left margin of Sakai and Kawaguchi. Blocks carved by Ito and printed by Komatsu Wasakichi.
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:
Wednesday, 23 August 2006
Shin Hanga: 'Rain'
Lot AU87
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Artist: Torii Kotondo
Format: Dai oban tate-e: 18" x 11.75" approx
Torii Kotondo's best known masterwork entitled Ame (Rain), signed Kotondo ga with artist's seal Kotondo, dated Showa 4.10 (October 1929), title embossed in lower margin, embossed seal of publisher Kawaguchi to lower right margin and engravers at left, edition notation on sealed label 'Gaikoku yuki nihyaku mai kagiri zeppan, dai hyaku-go-ju-ni go' (No. 152 of limited edition of 200 for export abroad) to verso.
Publisher: Kawaguchi
Date: 4th October 1929
Condition: Full size. A tiny paper fracture in lower left margin (.5 cm) repaired. Generally very fine state.
Colour: Fine
Impression: Fine
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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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