Takamizawa's Taisho era Reprints - With the increase in Western visitors to Japan in the first quarter of the 20th century and the interest in the Edo era woodblock print tradition, some of the best publishing houses began to release high quality reprints of the most famous ukiyo-e designs. Founded in 1911, the Takamizawa Publisher of Tokyo produced some of the highest quality ukiyo-e woodblock reprints of all time. Drawing on the traditions and methods of the Edo era, the company created reprints with the utmost care and great attention to detail, masterfully reproducing color, line work, and even wood grain detail in some cases. 

This print was published during the Taisho era (1911 - 1925), and features a Takamizawa seal on the reverse. Takamizawa's Taisho era prints are considered to be some of the finest reprints ever done. Today, these lovely old prints are sought after by collectors. This is a fantastic early release by Takamizawa and a great choice for a collector interested in classic ukiyo-e images.

Comments - Lovely large head portrait of a beauty holding a fan bearing the likeness of a kabuki actor in a role as a samurai. She smiles happily as she looks over her shoulder, showing tiny, even white teeth. her hair is pulled back into a sleek bun adorned with hairpins and softly colored ribbons. A terrific design with a shimmering white mica background. A rare subject to find in reprint.

Artist - Utamaro (1750 - 1806)

Image Size - 15 1/4" x 10 1/4"

Condition - With excellent color and detail as shown. A few faint spots, light crease at lower right edge. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.