Ito Shinsui (1898-1972) | Under the kotatsu | Showa period, 20th century
Lot Closed
November 18, 02:47 PM GMT
Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Ito Shinsui (1898-1972)
Under the kotatsu
Showa period, 20th century
woodblock print, signed Shinsui ga (Pictured by Shinsui), sealed Shinsui, from the series Second Collection of Modern Beatueies (Gendai bijin shu dai nishu), publisher's circular seal Watanabe (Watanabe Shozaburo), dated Showa rokunen junigatsu (December 1931), hand-numbered limited edition seal to the reverse nihyaku gojumai zeppan, dai hyaku hachijuyo ban (limited edition of 250, number 184), a publisher's red rectangular seal Watanabe
Vertical dai oban: 43 x 28.2 cm., 17 x 11⅛ in.
A young woman keeps herself warm under the thick blanket of a kotatsu. Fueled by charcoal and encased in a wooden frame, this brazier is a typical fe꧙ature of the traditional Japanese house, which can be notoriously drafty during the colder months. With a serene expression and downcast eyes, the model’s sleeve reveals her undergarment decorated with stylised pine in a gradation of orange and purple dye, an accent of colour contrasting with her black outer kimono. This vignette of winter coziness is aptly, and albeit consciously dated to the month of December.
Fo🥀r a similar impression of the same print in the coll▨ection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 2002.161.95, go to: