JAPANESE

Nice proof in very fresh colors with highlights in gold and silver.Published by Geisodo in the 11th year of the Showa era, 1936.Small halos in the outer border and lower left corner.Yusokugangu embody the essence of traditional Japanese toys, reflecting the opulent ceremonies and customs deeply rooted within the imperial court and aristocracy.Among the toys often represented we come across "cat ornaments", symbolizing good luck and guardians of homes and businesses; The "pully pigeon" where a wooden pigeon moves along a string or rod; The "denden daiko", a popular hand drum often used in festive celebrations; The “koma,” or spinning tops, demonstrating both the art of design and physics in motion; The samurai's iconic "Kabuto helmets", representing their honor, valor and nobility, often displayed during the Boys' Day festival; The “daruma kokeshi dolls” embodying perseverance and luck, inspired by the founder of Zen Buddhism or the “flower arrangement” which pays homage to the traditional art of Ikebana, emphasizing harmony, balance and simplicity...

PAPIER A LETTRE

Letter paper decorated with children from the Meiji period with stamps. Small ink smudgesNishiki-e...

YUSOKUGANGU

Nice proof in very fresh colors with highlights in gold and silver.Published by Geisodo in the 11th year of the Showa era, 1936.Tiny halo in the left outer border.Yusokugangu embody the essence of traditional Japanese toys, reflecting the opulent ceremonies and customs deeply rooted within the imperial court and aristocracy.Among the toys often represented we come across "cat ornaments", symbolizing good luck and guardians of homes and businesses; The "pully pigeon" where a wooden pigeon moves along a string or rod; The "denden daiko", a popular hand drum often used in festive celebrations; The “koma,” or spinning tops, demonstrating both the art of design and physics in motion; The samurai's iconic "Kabuto helmets", representing their honor, valor and nobility, often displayed during the Boys' Day festival; The “daruma kokeshi dolls” embodying perseverance and luck, inspired by the founder of Zen Buddhism or the “flower arrangement” which pays homage to the traditional art of Ikebana, emphasizing harmony, balance and simplicity...

IMAGERIE POPULAIRE CHINOISE DU NOUVEL AN : ENFANT ET POISSON

Good proof, several median folds While the carp symbolizes courage, perseverance, and success in exams; the red fish "jinyu"means gold and wealth.Ca.1950-1970The Chinese New Year print nianhua 年畫 finds its origins in the propitiatory images of Chinese antiquity. It adorned family altars and door leaves with its bright colors until the middle of the 20th century. This practice spread under the Tang Dynasty (618-906) and, with the arrival of Buddhism, broadened its themes to new deities and new pantheons. Then with the new printing techniques developed by the Song (960-1279), the nianhua prints won the family altars of most homes in China. The motifs further diversified under the Qing (1644-1911), incorporating scenes from novels and opera, portraits of women and children, and even satirical content. The print helps attract happiness, drive away evil spirits and protect the year to come. Through its illustrated themes, these prints reflect the customs, state of mind and aesthetic taste of the population. The production of prints continued to suffer from wars and social unrest during the 20th century, and only two or three workshops still existed in the 1940s. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, local artisans created Suzhou Taohuawu Woodblock New Year Print Society, thus protecting their know-how and perpetuating the tradition as best they can...

PAPIER A LETTRE

Letter paper decorated with butterflies from the Meiji period with a stamp. Nishiki-e.Small ink smudges..

VICTOIRE A ASAN

Beautiful triptych in very fresh colors formerly mounted on tabsObanNishiki-e1894 "At 3 am on July 29 a battle commenced and after five hours our troops were completely victorious" begins the text panel account of this print. Chikanobu depicts two officers leading the assault with the nation's flag held high. A Chinese canon in the foreground is turned around with its barrel down and its carriage broken. The Chinese soldiers in this print are dressed in cumbersome archaic uniforms, making them seem helpless against the Japanese troops smartly dressed in modern European style uniforms.The Battle of Seonghwan (Seikan) was the first major land confrontation of the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place on July 29, 1894 in Seonghwan, near Cheonan, in the Korean province of South Chungcheong. It is sometimes called Battle of Asan...

DEBAT DU SEIKANRON DE 1873

Beautiful triptych in very fresh colors formerly mounted on tabsObanNishiki-e1877This 1877 print depicts the 1873 Seikanron debates in the Court Council of the Meiji government on whether to invade Korea for ignoring the diplomatic missions of the Meiji government and "insulting" the Japanese nation.The leaders of the opposing factions, Iwakura and Saigō, are at the center of the triptych, surrounded by their followers.Seventeen red rectangular cartouches give the names of the characters taking part in the debate, all members of the Council of the Court (or Council of State).Among them :-Shinohara Kunimoto (left side, seated foreground) a longtime friend of Saigō Takamori and former major general and commander of the Imperial Guards who resigned after Saigō left the Imperial government.-Saigō Takamori (middle part, middle three-quarter face and bearded) hero of the battles that ended the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, inaugurating the Meiji government that made Japan a modern nation. Court advisor and leader of the Seikanron faction pleading to send one last diplomatic mission, led by himself, to Korea before launching an invasion. Saigō knew the mission would fail, with its failure serving as the final justification for the Japanese invasion.-Kirino Toshiaki (middle part, back and right of Takamori) brigadier general during the early years of the Imperial Japanese Army, he joined Takamori Saigō's forces during the Satsuma Rebellion, participating in the march north to Kumamoto . Kirino stayed with Saigō until the end, where he was finally killed on the battlefield.-Iwakura Tomomi 岩倉具視 - (middle part, standing upper right) Right-wing minister who led the "Iwakura Mission", a two-year trip to visit European countries and the United States, renegotiate "unequal treaties" and gather information for the modernization of Japan. Major player in defeating Saigō's plan and preventing the invasion of Korea.-Okubo Toshimichi 大久保利通 - (right part, bearded, seated in the foreground) member of the "Iwakura mission" who sided with Iwakura against Saigō. As Minister of the Interior he suppressed the regional rebellions of the old class of samurai which ended with the rebellion of Satsuma. He was assassinated by a former samurai in 1878.-Sanjo Sanetomi (right part, seated in the foreground) imperial envoy. He sided with Iwakura in the debate against Saigō. He assumed the position of dajo daijin (Grand Minister of State) in 1871.The Seikanron Debate literally: “Conquest of Korea Debate” was an important political debate that took place in Japan in 1873.Takamori Saigō and his followers insisted that Japan confront Korea because of the latter's refusal to recognize the legitimacy of Emperor Meiji as head of state of the Empire of Japan and for having insulted and expelled the Japanese representatives sent to establish commercial and diplomatic relations. The option of war against Korea was also an ideal opportunity to occupy the thousands of idle samurai who had lost m..

BATAILLE DE SEONGHWAN

Beautiful triptych in very fresh colors formerly mounted on tabsObanNishiki-e1894The Battle of Seonghwan (Seikan) was the first major land confrontation of the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place on July 29, 1894 in Seonghwan, near Cheonan, in the Korean province of South Chungcheong. It is sometimes called Battle of Asan...

KAGOSHIMA BENTO HIKIAGE NO ZU, SAIGO TAKAMORI, KIRINO TOSHIAKI

Beautiful triptych with fresh colors, representing the defeat of the famous Saigo Takamori, considered as the last samurai, during the rebellion of Kagoshima (Satsuma)"Born into a family of humble Satsuma officers, Saigō Takamori nonetheless enjoyed rapid promotion and was given special assignments by his daimyō to work for the entry of daimyōs into the shōgunal government. While in Kyoto, in 1858, during the repression organized by the bakufu in the imperial capital, he fled to his stronghold, then, involved in the dynastic quarrels of the seigneurial family, he lived in disgrace, most of the time, until 1864. He He then made himself the man of negotiations and narrowly succeeded in averting the first civil war between the bakufu and Chōshū, he commanded a detachment of the Imperial Guard and, against his will, was brought in to repel the companies of Chōshū who were attacking Kyoto. It was later that he was gradually convinced of the need to overthrow the shōgunate. He met Kido Takayoshi in 1866 and gradually realized the rapprochement between Satsuma and Chōshū, until the bakufu's second campaign against Chōshū, in 1867.One of the architects of the coup d'etat of January 3, 1868 by which the imperial court proclaimed the "return to the old monarchy", he commanded the army which conquered the main domains of the shōgun, between Kyoto and the Kantō, and secured Edo's unconditional surrender. However, convinced that it was necessary to mobilize the traditional forces, he shunned for a while the new regime which was moving towards modernization. He nevertheless agreed to enter the Executive Council in 1870, and offered the assistance of his army to make the abolition of the fiefs effective. When Kido Takayoshi and Ōkubo Toshimichi left Japan with Iwakura Tomomi's embassy, he remained in the Tokyo government. In order to bring together the bushi dissatisfied with the reorganization of the army, he planned to force Korea to open up, aware that his approach would probably end in war. Prevented by Ōkubo, returning from Europe, in 1873, he resigned from the government and returned to his old stronghold. There, he opened a school for young people and formed an army: Satsuma then became a de facto autonomous enclave. Ōkubo, impatient with this dissent, provoked war and had Satsuma occupied by the modern army, in 1877. Knowing the inevitable defeat, Saigō Takamori committed suicide. A character full of paradoxes, he was both one of the main founders of the Meiji regime and the greatest rebel that the renovated monarchy has known: he remains one of the most popular figures in Japan.in: Universalis Encyclopedia..

SHIKI NO HANA

Engraving on wood (nishiki-e) From a suite SHIKI NO HANA (flowers of the four seasons) print Kachô-e (fauna and flora)Usual median fold, beautiful, very fresh colors, slight browning on one of the outer edges...

SHIKI NO HANA

Engraving on wood (nishiki-e) From a suite SHIKI NO HANA (flowers of the four seasons) print Kachô-e (fauna and flora)Usual median pleat, beautiful, very fresh colors.Slight browning in the upper margin...

SHIKI NO HANA

Engraving on wood (nishiki-e) From a suite SHIKI NO HANA (flowers of the four seasons) print Kachô-e (fauna and flora)Usual median fold, beautiful, very fresh colors, slight browning on one of the outer edges...

SHIKI NO HANA

Engraving on wood (nishiki-e) From a suite SHIKI NO HANA (flowers of the four seasons) print Kachô-e (fauna and flora)Usual median fold, beautiful, very fresh colors, slight browning on one of the outer edges...

SHIKI NO HANA

TOKURIKI TOMIKICHIRO (1902-2000)

Engraving on wood (nishiki-e) From a suite SHIKI NO HANA (flowers of the four seasons) print Kachô-e (fauna and flora)Usual median fold, beautiful, very fresh colors, slight browning on one of the outer edges...

LE TEMPLE KIYOMIZU A KYOTO

From the set : Famous, sacred and historical placesCa.1950Editor: UchidaShin-HangaNishiki-e..

AKI MIYAJIMA

TOKURIKI TOMIKICHIRO (1902-2000)

From the set : Famous, sacred and historical placesCa.1940Editor: UchidaShin-HangaNishiki-e..

ACTEUR DU KABUKI

KUNICHIKA TOYOHARA (1835–1900)

Portrait of a Kabuki actor in two of his roles.Very fresh proof with embossing, slight scuffing on the left outer border.Nishiki-eObanMeiji period print..

SCENE DE KABUKI

KUNICHIKA TOYOHARA (1835–1900)

The actors Ichikawa Kuzo in the role of Wakasa Shinkichi, Sawamura Tanosuke in the role of Ane-Musume Kakesara and Nakamura Shikan in the role of Temmoku Sunosuke.Triptych formerly mounted, two small holes in the bottom of the left board, very fresh colors. Oban , nishiki-e1865..

LA PECHE AU CORMORAN SUR LA RIVIERE NAGARA A GIFU

MAMORU HIYOSHI (1885 - ?)

Gifu Nagara Gawa Ukai1953- Showa 28Editor : Kyoto Hanga-inShin hangaNishiki-e..

JUMENT ET SON POULAIN

GIRIN ( Actif vers 1930 )

Sosaku-hanga, Nishiki-e.Ca.1930..

FEMME JOUANT DU TSUZUMISUR SUR UN POEME DE KAKAEN CHÔCHÔSHI

HOKUUN KATSUSHIKA ( Début XIXè s)

Surimono Nishiki-e Shikishiban Ca.1890 Beautiful print with embossing. Poem by Kakaen Chôchôshi. The tsuzumi is a Japanese drum of Sino-Indian origin used in Noh and Kabuki theater music, but also in min'yō Japanese folk music...

HOMME PORTANT UNE BRANCHE DE PRUNIER

ANONYME XIXè

Nice surimono after Kubo SHUNMAN (1757-1820)Gold highlights, tiny scattered foxing, small brown spot in the top margin.Ca.1890..

ASAKUZA TANBU TORINOMACHI MODE

HIROSHIGE UTAGAWA ( 1797-1858 )

Fire foxes on New Year's Eve under the Enoki tree near Oji( Winter )From the sequel: Meisho Edo HyakkeiReduced version of "One Hundred Views of Edo's Most Famous Places"ChubanNishiki-eTaisho period, ca.1920Slight uniform yellowing, small defect in the print at the top right...

GUERRIER A CHEVAL

SHIGENOBU YANAGAWA ( 1787-1832 )

SurimonoNishiki-eShikishibanCa.1890..

FUGU NO BIJIN TO KURAGE NO TOMO

SHIGENOBU YANAGAWA ( 1787-1832 )

Pufferfish courtesan and her jellyfish companion.SurimonoShikishibanNishiki-eCa.1890...

JOUEUSE DE SHAMISEN AJUSTANT SA COIFFURE

SHIGENOBU YANAGAWA ( 1787-1832 )

ShikishibanSurmonoNishiki-eCa.1890.Proof falsely attributed to Hokusai with gold highlights.The geisha's favorite instrument, this Bijin is represented kneeling, undoubtedly on a zabuton concealed by her clothing, at her side a large ivory plectrum (bashi or bachi) used to pluck the strings of her instrument...

RAMASSAGE DES ORMEAUX ( AWABI )

SHINSAI RYURYUKYO ( 1799-1823 )

Surimono, shikishiban, nishiki-e.ca.1890.Representation of one of these traditional fisherwomen of the coastal regions, who dived half-naked into the sea in search of abalones. An inexhaustible source of fascination for Westerners, these images invaded Europe during the second half of the nineteenth century. Intended for the general public, they respond to the general demand for representations of female nudes and beautiful women. Far from the ethnographic subject, these fisherwomen impose themselves in the collective imagination as courtesans of the sea, their sensual bodies delivered to the male gaze in Japan and elsewhere...

FLEURS DE CERISIER TAMBOUR ET EBOSHI

SHINSAI RYURYUKYO ( 1799-1823 )

The elements represented, inspired by an episode from : "Tale of Genji", symbolize the figure of Lady Aoi (Aoi knot). Surimono, shikishiban, nishiki-e. ca.1880. Proof with embossing, printing fold...

OISEAUX ET NID

BANDO TOSHIO ( 1895-1973 )

Proof numbered 3/25..

KAMEIDO UMEYASHIKI ( JARDIN DES PRUNIERS )

Print n ° 24 from the suite: Edo Meisho Yonjuhakkei ( forty eight famous views of Edo ) 1861 Nishiki-eChuban..

SAN-NO GONGEN ( TEMPLE DE GONGEN )

Print n ° 43 from the suite: Edo Meisho Yonjuhakkei (forty eight famous views of Edo) Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizo Censor: Kiwame 1861 Chuban Nishiki-e Small hole in the upper left margin..

YUSHIMA TENJIN ( TEMPLE DE YUSHIMA )

Print n ° 8 from the suite: Edo Meisho Yonjuhakkei ( forty eight famous views of Edo ) 1861 Nishiki-eChuban..

ZÔJÔ-JI ( TEMPLE DE ZÔJÔ )

MOKUHANSHA MIKUMO ( 1900- ? )

Print n ° 33 from the suite: Edo Meisho Yonjuhakkei (forty eight famous views of Edo) 1861 Editor : Tsutaya KichizoSeal : KiwameNishiki-eChuban..

KOKESHI OU LES POUPEES

Sosaku hanga, numbered 41 on the back. Ca.1960..

KINUTA NO TAMAGAWA

SORI HISHIKAWA ( 1789-1818 )

Surimono, Shikishibanca.1890 Light crease print.Print180x170 mm Frame 275x255 mm..

KODOMO ASOBI KO O TORO KO O TORO

HIROSHIGE III UTAGAWA ( 1842-1894 )

Or: Children's gamesLiterally it means "to catch the child".Beautiful colors, some foxing and five small holes on the left side.1868Nishiki-eOban ..

BOUDDHA

KUMO INI ( ACTIF DANS LES ANNEES 1960 )

Print Sosaku Hanga Numbered 48 dated 1962 and signed by Inkumo Edition Nishiki-e..

BIJIN SCULPTANT UNE FIGURE DE KAMURO

EISHI CHÔBUNSAI ( 1756–1829 )

Beautiful print, a few scattered foxing.SurimonoShikishiban, nishikie, Ca.1890The Kamuro were the little girls who frequented the great courtesans. Placed in their service from an early age, they were between five and nine years old, they marched in the procession of their courtesan "elder sister" when she appeared in public, ran errands for her and accompanied her when she met clients...

YAMAOTOKO 4 ( L'HOMME DES MONTAGNES 4 )

AZECHI UMETARO ( 1902-1999 )

Signed proof bearing the dry stamp of the : Yoseide GalleryCa.1956Showa 31Sosaku-hangaNishiki-eAzechi, born to a poor farming family in what is now Uwajima, Ehime, first enrolled in a correspondence art course. In 1920 he had the opportunity to settle in Tokyo but returned home to Shikoku after the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. He returned to Tokyo in 1925, where he worked for a printing company.Azechi's prints were noticed by Unichi Hiratsuka, who took him under his wing. The latter belonging to the Japan Print Association and the Kokugakai Arts Association presented some of his works in their exhibitions. Azechi then quit his job and became a freelance artist. At the same time he met Maegawa Sempan and Kōshirō Onchi who influenced his art.His early works reflected the monochromatic sosaku hanga style. He began to develop his own style in the late 1930s when he specialized in mountain landscapes and their natives. This passion for the mountains led him to become an experienced mountaineer. His deliberately primitive style was intended to be close to naive artists, simplifying the patterns and using mainly cold colors such as blues, greens and purples.It was from the 1940s that he met with success and participated in the three print biennials in Sao Paulo, Lugano and Tokyo.The Umetaro Azechi Memorial Museum opened in Uwajima in 2003 and today his prints are present in major museum collections such as the Achenbach Foundation in San Francisco, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts or the British Museum in London...

KAGOSHIMA CHINTEI SOSHO SHOKYU SHOHAI O TAMAWARU NO ZU

KOBAYASHI EITAKU ( 1843-1890 )

Fresh triptych formerly mounted on tabs.Meiji ProofNishiki-e..

KIKU JIDO

From the suite: Jūnikagetsu nōga suri" (Twelve months of Noh theatre)1975ObanShin-hangaNishiki-eBeautiful colors.He was one of the favorite subjects of Emperor Mu, until the day when, falling into disgrace following the machinations of a rival, he was banished to the mountains. Upon parting ways with him, Emperor Mu took pity on him and taught him a line from the Lotus Sutra to ensure his safety. Kikujidou, exiled to a valley of blooming chrysanthemums, spent his days writing this Buddhist saying on chrysanthemum leaves, and when one day he immersed those leaves in the stream in the valley, the water turned into an elixir of 'immortality...

SHOJO

Midare or an instrumental dancefrom the suite: Jūnikagetsu nōga suri" (Twelve months of Noh theatre)1975Shin-hangaNishiki-eBeautiful colors very light flexible folds of impression.There are two midare dances in the Noh theater which are performed accompanied by instruments such as a bamboo flute, drums and small hand drums. One of them is "Shojo no Mai" or the dance of an orangutan-like supernatural being (the other being Sagi no Mai, The Dance of a Snowy Heron).It is always presented as the last number of a program.The characters inscribed in the seal mean: "The well which contains water in infinite supply"..

HANAGATAMI

The Basket of Flowers' Dancefrom the suite: Jūnikagetsu nōga suri" (Twelve months of Noh theatre)1975ObanShin-hangaNishiki-eBeautiful colors, printing with embossing.Hanagatami or The Basket of Flowers, narrates an idyll, although not recorded in the annals, between a prince who later acceded to the throne as the twenty-sixth emperor of Japan and the daughter of a provincial lord.Princess Teruhi-no-Mae imitates here the behavior of the emperor who adored his ancestors by offering flowers to their souls in the village of Ajimano before his accession to the throne.The characters inscribed in the seal mean:"Maple Leaves Scattered in the Wind"..

DOJOJI

TOYOHIJA INOUE ( 1914-1998 )

Red Wig Dancefrom the suite: Jūnikagetsu nōga suri" (Twelve months of Noh theatre)1975ObanShin-hangaNishiki-eBeautiful colors.Perhaps no temple is more popular than Dojoji Temple in the history of Japanese public entertainment, but no reference is made to it in this drama. The drama deals with the metamorphosis of a woman into a dragon. The print illustrates the moment when the woman, having thrown her eboshi hood with her fan, is about to be consumed.The characters inscribed in the seal mean:"Other than cherries, nothing but pines."..

TEMPLE SUR L'EAU A KATATA

Proof signed and numbered1974 (showa 49)Shin HangaNishiki-e..

GRAND BOUDDHA DE KAMAKURA

GIHACHIRO OKUYAMA ( 1907-1981 )

Kamakura No DaibutsuEdited by Kyoto Hanga InShin HangaNishiki-eKōtoku-in is a Jōdo shū Buddhist temple located in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.The temple is known for its "Great Buddha" (Daibutsu), a monumental bronze statue of Amitābha Buddha which is one of Japan's most famous icons...

SNOW SCENE OF KYOTO OU MAIKO DANS LA NEIGE

MATAICHIRO ISODA ( 1907-? )

From the set : Four Seasons in KyotoFirst edition: 1953 (Showa 28)Publisher: Shinmi Saburo (1912-2000)Shin HangaNishiki-eBeautiful colors, slight yellowing of the upper border..

CARPES A LA LUNE OU CARASSINS

BAKUFU OHNO ( 1888-1976 )

Print published by Kyoto HangaCa.1950Shin HangaNishiki-eBeautiful colors with gold highlights, trace of folding on the left and upper margins...

IRAKUGA NO SATO

FUJITA FUMIO ( 1933-? )

Irakuga VillageProof signed and numbered.1979Shin HangaNishiki-eSlight oxidation when opening an old master key, some tiny foxing...

RAMASSEURS DE COQUILLAGES, KAIZUKUSHI

Some scattered foxing.SurimonoNishiki-eShikishibanCa.1890..

SERPENT ET MELONS DU CHOMON-JÛ

From the set: Washo Kurabe (a comparison of Japanese books) Creation of Hokkei, falsely signed and attributed to Hokusai. ca.1890, Shikishiban, Nishiki-e Printing with embossing, some tiny foxing..

MENG ZONG ( MÔ SÔ )

Geisha with a box of bamboo shootsSurimono from a suite of 24: Paragons of Filial PietyShikishiban, Nishiki-e,ca.1890Beautiful fresh color print..

ENTREE DU TORII D'ENOSHIMA