JAPANESE ART > KUCHI-E WOODBLOCK PRINTS > KOINOBORI

Lot 00509
N.1 kuchi-e woodblock print

Takeuchi Keishu

KOINOBORI

Year: 1908
Condition: good
Size: 22 x 30 cm

SOLD

Koinobori (鯉幟) are the most significant and joyful custom of the "Children's Day" (こどもの日), which takes place in Japan on May 5th. It consists in waving in the wind huge carps of paper or cloth painted in bright colors, which flutter as if they were swimming in the air. Every family, with one or more sons, on this occasion proudly reports to the world its own wealth by hoisting on the roof, at the top of a long pole, as many carp as the number of children in the house.

This beautiful original woodblock print of the kuchi-e (口絵) type, taken from vol. 14 n. 7 of the famous literary magazine Bungei Kurabu (文芸倶楽部), was made in 1908 by Takeuchi Keishu (武内桂舟), one of the most talented students of the famous Tsukiyoka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年).

The print, produced by the Hakubunkan (博文館) publishing house, despite the presence of some obvious bending marks, is in good general condition.

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