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Woman in a crane patterned kimono in front of a flowering plum tree
by Torii Kotondo (1900-1976)

	Artist:	Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) — 鳥居言人
	Title:	Woman in a crane patterned kimono in front of a flowering plum tree
	Series:
	Date of first edition?:	Not set
	Publisher (first edition)?:	Self
	Publisher (this edition)?:	Self
	Medium (first edition):	Scroll/Makuri roll
	Medium (this edition):	Scroll/Makuri roll
	Format (first edition):	Short scroll
	Format (this edition):	Short scroll
	DB artwork code:	42485
	Notes (first edition)?:	Thursday, 2 September 2010 Artist Kotondo Title Woman in a crane patterned kimono in front of a flowering plum tree Date c. 1930 Format Painting on paper mounted on a silk scroll (Image: 13 3/8" X 12 3/8"; with mounting: 19 3/4" X 53 1/2") Comment Gold and silver pigments on the cranes. Signed Kiyokoto. Previously: Kotondo, Torii- Woman in kimono in front of flowering plum tree- Full0.jpg: Artist Kotondo Title Woman in a crane patterned kimono in front of a flowering plum tree Signed Kiyokoto Date c. 1930 Format Painting on paper (Image: 13 3/8" X 12 3/8", With mounting: 19 3/4" X 53 1/2") Impression Gold and silver pigments on the cranes; green silk mounting Condition Excellent condition
	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.