Takeji Asano - Born in Kyoto, Takeji Asano worked in both the shin-hanga and sosaku hanga Japanese woodblock print traditions. He studied Western and Japanese painting, and became interested in woodblock prints after taking a class with Hiratsuka Un'ichi, one of the founders of the sosaku hanga or creative print movement. In 1929, he helped form the Kyoto Creative Print Society. After WWII, he created many woodblocks of scenery and famous sites in and around Kyoto in various seasons. In addition to designing shin-hanga series for Uchida and Unsodo, he also published his own works. His colorful sosaku hanga woodblocks, self-carved and self-printed, have a real graphic appeal, with bold line work, sweeping views, and handsome compositions. Asano's prints are a great choice for the modern collector, and make attractive framed displays.

Famous Places in Kyoto - Handsome design from Takeji Asano's self-published sosaku hanga series "Famous Places in Kyoto" (Kyoraku meisho). The artist began drawing and carving the blocks for this 12-print series in 1955, but he did not print them until 1964. Some of the prints include the date of the carving within the image (mid- to late-1950s), and some are also dated Showa 39 (1964) in the left margin. These attractive images showcase the memorable scenery, shrines, city streets, and festivals in and around Kyoto throughout the year. Rarely seen on the market, these great designs are a nice choice for a collector interested in sosaku hanga woodblocks.

Artist - Takeji Asano (1900 - 1999)

Image Size - 10 3/4" x 9 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - Excellent overall with no issues to report.