[Go Back]  [New Search]    Comparing Artwork Details for Koho Shoda (1871-1946) "A tea-house waitress"         

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Notes (1st edition)
Publisher (this edition): Hasegawa Hasegawa Hasegawa
Date of this item: c1920 c1920 c1920
Notes (this edition)
These notes were written by the original owner/seller/auctioner of the item and may be inaccurate.:
Friday, 2 September 2011

Hi Frank,

The first three prints are by Koho and published by Hasegawa in the 1910s/20s/30s. With the catalogue numbers as well as no margins I doubt these were printed later by Nishinomiya Yosaku. The 4th print is by Gesso. I'm not sure from what date the Japanese were forced to use the "Made in Japan" seal, but shinhanga.net state

"A: Soon after World War I the U.S. began to require country-of-origin markings on imported goods, culminating in 1930 with the famous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. Hence the beginnings of "Made in Japan", including our then lowly woodblock prints."

So that begs the question: when did Nishinomiya take over from Hasegawa? Well, Shotei.com states:

"It's not known exactly when the business passed from father to son, but by 1936, only Nishinomiya's name appeared on copyright stamps on their prints."

So I think your prints date to the late 20s or early 30s.

My Hasegawa catalogue published circa late 1910s lists "Japanese scenes on Tanzaku (Size 13.25 x 3 inches), 8 different series in stock, Per each set of 12 prints, 350 yen". So that is 96 prints in all, starting with a catalogue number of 1501, so your prints mostly fit that entry (my catalogue doesn't list all items either).

I did some research on Hasegawa's Koho but he still remains a mystery. Most say he was Koho Shoda (1871-1946), but he could also be Koho Kiroku (1875 to 1925). There is very little information on either artist.

Cheers,


Ross
******************************************************************
Dr Ross F. Walker, Professor
Ohmi Gallery

Ritsumeikan University, BKC Campus, Kusatsu, 527-8577, Japan
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Subject: Pre-war prints

Dear Ross,

I trust that this finds you well and enjoying early autumn in Japan.

Sorry to ask for your assistance again, but I'm not able to identify the two artists chops/signature on the attached prints. You have so much knowledge on works of that period, I'm taking the liberty of sending images as well as a close-ups of the chop/signature.

The three with the red chop were all attached to backing cards with stock numbers 1530, 1593 and 1605. With the four-digit stock numbers and the look and feel of them, do you think that they may have come from Hasegawa/Nishinomiya? They do not have the "made in Japan" chop on the reverse. Would the 1930's be the correct period?

Many thanks and best wishes,

Frank
Koho (Hiroshima Shintaro)- A tea-house waitress- 1.jpg is:

same print as above?

KOHO

The Waitress

Date: early 20th century, sealed Koho
Size: chutanzakuban tate-e, 3.25" x 14.25", full size with margin at top
Condition: fine
Impression: fine, with slight gauffrage on the stall's bamboo roof area, silver tray, and tea set
Color: very good

The Waitress

Artist: Koho
Format: Chutanzakuban tate-e: 14.25" x 3.25"

Subject: A tea-house waitress in the open air carrying a silver tray.

Date: c. 1920

Condition: Fine colors. Full size. Very minor creases, marks and flaws. Generally fine state of preservation.

Impression: Fine impression with gauffrage.

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