Suname sekihan-ga - We recently came across a collection of lithographic portraits referred to as “suname sekihan-ga” in the Japanese market. These prints represent experimental steps beyond woodblock color printing as some Japanese artists sought to utilize modern lithographic techniques to produce color prints. Each print was first produced as a black and white lithograph and then hand colored.

These large beauty portraits are the most sought after prints from this tradition and combine the custom of the ukiyo-e beauty portraits with this new printing process. Accented with hand coloring, these attractive designs show women posing both formally and informally in a variety of settings. Some prints are dated Meiji 23 (1890) or Meiji 24 (1891), and they all date to the early 1890s. These prints provide insight into the dress, hairstyles, and customs of women of the period, and form a nice historic record of the time.

Artist - Meiji era artist (unsigned)

Image Size - Size varies, approximately 14" x 10 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Backed with paper. Toning, slight soiling. A few prints have a couple small tears at edges, or a few spots or marks. Please see photos for details.