Kotondo - Morning Hair

Torii Kotondo (1900 - 1976)

Date: Original was 1830's - this is a reprint from 1980's.
Publisher: Ishukankokai, with red moneybag seal
Genre: Shin-hanga
Medium: Woodblock Print.
Image Size: 16 1/8" x 10 1/8" + margins as shown
Commemorative Folder Size: 16”X 21.5”

Morning Hair - Limited Edition Commemorative Print - An image of a young beauty, wearing a blue and white, flower patterned kimono. Her hands are resting on a pillow. In the background, a highly detailed green mosquito netting. One of the best designs in the series.

Torii Kotondo is best known for his exceptionally refined bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women), created primarily during the late 1920s and early 1930s. His elegant and introspective portraits are considered among the finest beauty prints of the Shin Hanga movement and are admired for their graceful compositions, subtle expressions, and sophisticated printing.

This print comes from the limited edition, posthumous series Twelve Aspects of Women (Onna Jūnidai), published by Ishu Kanko Kai. The series recreated twelve of Kotondo's celebrated beauty designs using newly carved cherry-wood blocks and traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques. A team of accomplished professional carvers and printers was employed to produce the series under the supervision of noted ukiyo-e scholar Narazaki Muneshige.

The prints were produced on handmade Echizen hōsho paper bearing the publisher's watermark and reproduce the delicate colors, fine linework, subtle shading, and special printing effects characteristic of Kotondo's original designs. The individual carver and printer responsible for each print are identified by their names and seals in the margin.

These are posthumous editions and not original lifetime impressions. However, they are genuine hand-carved and hand-printed Japanese woodblock prints, produced to a notably high standard using traditional materials and methods. The original lifetime editions of Kotondo's bijin-ga are extremely scarce, making these finely produced editions an attractive alternative for collectors who appreciate his work.

Each print includes its original custom presentation folder, as shown.

Please note: Due to the unusually large size of these prints and their protective packaging, shipping costs are higher than for our standard Japanese woodblock prints. Free shipping discount does not apply for this print - we have a flat domestic charge of $30, including tracking and insurance.

Condition: Very good condition, kept in folder.