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TSUNETOMI, Kitano  (1880 - 1947)		'THE HERON MAIDEN' (Sagi-musume)
		Signed:                     Tsunetomi hitsu Carver:                     Yamana Ryoko Printer:                     Matsuno Kassui Publisher:                Nezu Seitaro Date:                          1925 Size:                           very large oban (c. 54. 5 x 36. 5 cms / c. 21 1/2" x 14 3/8") Impression:              fine Colors:                      fine Condition:                 fine ref. no.: # 591739 Price: € 4,900.00        One of the most impressive bijin designs of all shin hanga and certainly the artist's most important work. Here, TSUNETOMI utilized a wite/bluish color palette, set off by touches of red, a mica background, and the beauty's silver hairpin. The gofun depicting thick snowflakes is, as always, applied by hand.        The title, Heron Maiden, refers to the one-act kabuki play and dance of the same name, that was first performed at the Ichimura-za of Edo in 1762. In the story the dancer changes from a snow heron to a city girl on a snowy eve, and then back into a white heron.        TSUNETOMI'S style of painting was immediately acclaimed as a new style of bijinga; in his prints he has retained - to varying degrees - a painterly feel in the interpretation of his designs into the woodblock medium (see, e.g., the treatment of the background). Today the artist is acknowledged for his romantic Taisho-period images of beautiful women. - The heron Maidenis one of the most spectacular of all shin hanga bijin prints. - Tsunetomi's students included Kitani CHIGUSA and Shima SEIEN.

Reference:  'The Female Image", pl. no. #108.

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