Rouge- lipstick — くち紅
by Torii Kotondo (1900-1976)

Original caretaker of this artwork: Someido

	Artist:	Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) — 鳥居言人
	Title:	Rouge- lipstick — くち紅
	Series:
	Date of first edition?:	1932/1
	Publisher (first edition)?:	Ikeda — 池田
	Publisher (this edition)?:	Ishukankokai — 遺珠刊行会
	Medium (first edition):	Woodblock
	Medium (this edition):	Woodblock
	Format (first edition):	Large Oban
	Format (this edition):	Large Oban
	DB artwork code:	46210
	Notes (first edition)?:	Torii Kotondo, 1900-1976 Rouge (Beni) Signed Kotondo ga with artist's green circular seal Torii Kotondo. Undated, published by Ikeda. Date: 1932 January (confirmed). Re-issued in the series "Twelve Aspects of Women" circa August 23, 1988. Dai oban tate-e 48 by 29.5 cm Reference: The Female Image, 2000, pl. 179 Limited edition of only 100 prints, after which the blocks were destroyed. Scene number 2 among 12 Ikeda published scenes.
	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.