Kotatsu

US$2,480.00

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[Kotatsu (Heated table)]

[Itō], Shinsui [illustrated by].

[Tōkyō]: Watanabe, Shōwa 6 [1931].

Kotatsu, a woodblock print designed by Itō Shinsui and published by Watanabe Shōzaburō in 1931 as part of the series Gendai Bijin-shū: Dai-ni-shū (Collection of Modern Beauties: Second Series), depicts a young woman seated in a kotatsu (heated table covered by a blanket). The print is a representative example of shin-hanga (new prints), a movement that revitalised traditional Japanese woodblock printing in the early twentieth century through the incorporation of modern subjects, naturalistic expression, and refined printing techniques. Shinsui was one of the leading artists of the movement, while Watanabe was the publisher most closely associated with its development and international success. Particularly notable in this dai-ōban shin-hanga print is the use of mica (kirazuri) in the background; such effects were a hallmark of Watanabe's high-quality editions. The design was issued in a limited edition of 250 impressions, with edition numbers typically printed on the verso. The present example instead bears Watanabe's "gift" seal, suggesting that it was presented by the publisher to an unknown recipient rather than sold as part of the numbered edition. Kotatsu was later reproduced in a smaller format as an insert for the magazines Osaka Mainichi and Japan, Today and Tomorrow. A beautifully composed work built on quiet juxtapositions: the formal attire of the elegant woman and the homely comfort of the kotatsu, and the cold winter air — emphasised by the shimmering kirazuri background — and the warmth of the thick, colourful futon.

One dai-ōban tate-e leaf, colour woodblock-printed on one side, complete. Paper mellowed. Slight discolouration to extremities. Light foxing and small marks. A few minor creases and scratches. Sticker (?) residue to verso. 43.4 x 27.6 cm.

Kotatsu
Price: $2,480.00 (USD)