12 Original Wood Blocks in Color of Japanese Native Customs [also referred to as Picture Notes on Native Customs] / Nihon minzoku zufu: Nihon hanga kyokai dojin rensaku jikoku hangashu /??????: ???????????????

Published by Fugaku Honsha, Tokyo, 1946

About this Item

A significant post-war collaboration executed on the inferior-quality materials available in immediate post-war Japan. The expressionistic, sometimes raw printing style marks a deliberate departure from traditional ukiyo-e precision. Ten leading artists contributed: Saito Kiyoshi, Gen Yamaguchi, Wakayama Yasoji, Maekawa Senpan (2 images), Doshun Mori, Kuroki Sadao, Umetaro Azechi, Kawanishi Hide, Maeda Masao, and Junichiro Sekino (2 images). Each print depicts scenes of rural Japanese life during a pivotal moment of cultural transition. The prints are signed in the image and identified on the back (verso) of the enclosing paper frames. The accompanying text positions the portfolio as both a documentation of traditional customs and a foundation for post-war cultural renewal, noting that these " humble customs and festivals will also become the mother's milk of Japanese people to bring up the peaceful heart filled with love and piousness." Portfolio containing twelve original woodblock prints, complete with title sheet, explanatory booklet (in Japanese with English introduction), and original ribbon tie and paper label. Prints measure 7-1/4 x 9-1/4 inches (or reverse) on larger paper frames, portfolio 10-1/2 x 13-1/2 inches. An uncommon collection of prints, with just one listing in OCLC (in Japan) along with holdings in the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Portland Art Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. First edition. An exceptional set, complete with all twelve images in the original paper frames, with English and Japanese captions on the frame versos (back). The prints are exceptionally clean and bright; the title sheet and the explanatory text (mostly in Japanese) are present and fine. The enclosing portfolio is very near fine, with minor loss to the paper covering in a few places.

Seller Inventory # 307592

Bibliographic Details

• Title: 12 Original Wood Blocks in Color of Japanese Native Customs [also referred to as Picture Notes on Native Customs] / Nihon minzoku zufu: Nihon hanga kyokai dojin rensaku jikoku hangashu /??????: ???????????????
• Publisher: Fugaku Honsha, Tokyo
• Publication Date: 1946
• Binding: Ephemera
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • ILLUSTRATED BOOKS
  • Japan
  • Print - Original