Bijin Hana Kurabe (Comparison of Beauties and Flowers).; Riverside
Tokyo: c 1887. Woodblock print in colors with embossing on handmade, laid mulberry paper, 14 x 8 1/4 inches (355 x 210 mm), ōban tate-e, the full sheet. Multiple condition issues include scattered edge tears with associated losses, scattered adhesive residue on the verso, toning, and a ghost impression from another image which presents as a floral band across the top of the sheet (the result of improper storage). Colors remain fresh and delicate.
Ogaka Gekkō (originally known as Nakagami Masanosuke) was a self-trained artist who was orphaned at a young age and survived by illustrating brochures, selling drawings, and designing rickshaws. While the likes of Kitagawa Utamaro, Hishikawa Moronobu, Keisei Eisen, and Suzuki Harunobu were regarded as the innovators and masters of the bijin-ga form, Gekkō was one of the first Japanese woodblock print designers to achieve international recognition during his lifetime.
– Parkstone International, Looking Beyond the Portrait, November 5, 2015.
Item number: 1201
Price: $100.00
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