JAPANESE PRINTS

A MILLION QUESTIONS

TWO MILLION MYSTERIES

Ukiyo-e Prints

浮世絵版画

Port Townsend, Washington

ISHIKAWA TORAJI

石川寅治

いしかわ・とらじ

1875-1964

"Sound of a Bell"

鈴の音

Unsigned

Self published

Key block impression

Kyōgō

Carver:Yamagishi  Kazue

山岸主計

やまぎし.かずえ

Date: 1934

Sheet Size: 15 5/8" x 22"

Condition: Good

Slight soiling and ink stains,

but all are outside of the image.

SOLD!

NOTE: This sheet is actually a warm, cream color and not grayish as seen in the image above.

That is the nature of having taken a digital photo as opposed to a scan.

The sheet is far too large to scan - at least for me.

Toraji was trained as an artist in Japan, but he traveled widely in the West in Europe and America in the first decade of the 20th century. It was said that he was particularly influenced by the School of Paris which included such artitst as Picasso, Braque, Modigliani, Soutine, Chagall, Pascin, Fujita, Kisling, et al. However, for me he seems to look more to the full bodied, fleshy images of Bonnard than those of the next generation. However, there were numerous other Japanese artists who made their way to Paris and were profoundly affected by this encounter thus changing the flavor of traditional Japanese art forever.

When Toraji produced his famous print series of ten nudes in 1933-34 Japan was immersed in the worldwide depression. In fact, the Japanese referred to this time as the "dark valley". "Austerity and anti-voluptuary laws, the military draft, and lack of raw materials contributed to a general belief that art in Japan had disappeared into the darkness." When Toraji's masterpieces, the "Ten Beauties," were first shown they were attacked vehemently and two of the blocks were seized - I wish I knew which two - and destroyed.

Although Toraji had a long and productive career he is only known to have designed approximately 15 different woodblock prints. We are privileged indeed to offer you this early printing from the key block.

Toraji's carver for the prints from this series was Yamagishi Kazue (1893-ca. 1966), an artist in his own right. Known for his technical skills he was sent on tour by the Ministry of Education to the United States and Europe from 1926-29. During that period he gave demonstrations of the woodblock technique. In 1987 the Journal of the Print World referred to Kazue as "...surely one fo the greatest woodblock carvers in history.... No effect was beyond his skills, from the delicate embossed lace of Jacoulet's 'Parisienne' (1934) to the vigorous watercolor effects of the Toradjis. Kazue Yamagishi gave his young artists of the dark valley the priceless freedom to do anything they wished. The results illuminated their dark valley indeed, and now shine a cheerful light on us."

Kazue carved blocks for several other artists besides Toraji and Jacoulet: Yamamura Koka, Kaburagi Kiyotaka, Yoshida Hiroshi and book covers for Onchi Kōshirō. The detail shown above is from Jacoulet's 'Parisienne'. It certainly shows his mastery of the techniques - whether the image appeals to you or not. Me, I like Toraji's nudes better.

In the finished print the blank tiles of the

key block print become Mah Jong tiles.