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.

Oto no Kuronushi - Charming image of a courtesan looking at her reflection in a mirror atop a black lacquer makeup stand. She smiles at she looks down, adjusting a couple of hairpins. She wears a sheer black silk outer robe over a pale pink under robe, a red obi knotted about her waist, and another light blue under robe seen above her bare foot. The circular inset at upper left depicts Oto no Kuronushi, one of Japan's Six Immortal Poets. A lovely design with graceful flowing line work and slender, elegant figures. Rarely seen in reprint.

Artist - Eishi (1756 - 1829)

Image Size - 14 3/4" x 10" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Slight toning and soiling, a few creases at edges. Please see photos for details. Good overall.