Kinuta

Kinuta is a wonderful color xylograph on paper, made by the Japanese master Tsukioka Kogyo (1869-1927).

The artist's signature is on the red seal printed on the lower right corner " Tsukioka ".

From the series  One Hundred No Dramas  (Nogaku Hyakuban), published by Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya) and published in 1922.

Kinuta is the wife of the prince of Ashiya, portrayed while she is ironing the laundry, beating a sort of fan so that the sound brings her wish to her husband in the distant capital.

In excellent conditions, except for a little stain on the higher left margin, and some light discolorations, this original print preserves all its freshness of lines and colors. The texture of the princess' kimono has a precious golden hatching, and the artwork keeps still today the rare beauty and the incredible delicacy, in perfect harmony with the Japanese mood.  

Tsukioka Kogyo

Sometimes called Sakamaki Kogyo (1869 - 1927) was a Japanese artist of the Meiji period, a student and adopted son of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who also studied with Ogata Gekko. Although Kogyo sometimes painted other subjects, for most of his career he has made pictures of Japanese noh theater, either as large-scale paintings or colored woodblock prints.