Japanese woodcut, ink, paper, 24x15 cm (paper size), artist's signature
The woodcut is from the magazine "Isho Sekai (World of Design)," No. 1. Published in Tokyo in 1901 (Meiji 34), an analogous piece is in the collection of the Harvard Library.
Issue one of "Isho Sekai" magazine was illustrated entirely by an artist named Sawa Kyukou, the woodcuts were cut byWatanabe Takijirō, and the publisher was "Seibikai" (Exquisite Beauty Association). "Seibikai" was founded in Tokyo in 1900 by Shobei Kitajima, and the epilogue of "Isho Sekai" magazine explains that the periodical is published monthly on the fifth day of the month, providing designers with the latest developments in kimono design, fabric dyeing and pattern weaving. Many post-1900 designs filtered the then-Western aesthetic of Art Nouveau and adopted it into traditional Japanese forms.
The woodcut on display is a kuchi-e, literally "mouth painting." The term refers to a particular type of Japanese woodblock print that served as the frontispiece of art magazines, literary journals and novels in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These prints were created by renowned artists who collaborated with publishers to create visually and thematically striking illustrations that complemented the accompanying literary works. Kuchi-e played a significant role in popularizing art and showcased the talents of prominent artists of the time.
