Chikanobu: Beauty of the Kyôtoku period
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Toyohara (Yôshû) Chikanobu (1838-1912)

A portrait of a noble beauty of the Kyôtoku era (1452-1455). The trompe-l'œil-style "old painting behind“ depicts two lacquer craftsmen of that period - on the right side a master lacquerer (Makie-shi), and on the left side a master inlaying sword scabbards with mother-of-pearl (Kai-suri, Raden).

Title: Kyôtoku no koro (The Kyôtoku era)

Series: Jidai kagami (A mirror of the ages)

Signature: Yôshû Chikanobu

Seal: Yôshû

Publisher: Matsuki Heikichi, Tokyo

Date: Meiji 30 (1897)

Size: Vertical Ôban, 37.5 x 24.5 cm (overall size)

Excellent impression and colours, with relief printing. Wide margins. Verso at lateral margins narrow old paper backing stripes. Paper minimally age-toned, one tiny spot, else excellent condition.
For this series see Bruce A. Coats, Chikanobu. Modernity and Nostalgia in Japanese Prints. Leiden 2006, pp. 186 ff. Cf. also National Diet Library Digital Collections DOI 10.11501/1310045. The Mizuta Museum of Art of Josai University displays and explains on its website the complete series.

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