Commemorative Kotondo Prints - With the permission of Kotondo's heirs, a single small commemorative runs of his prints was produced by the venerable publisher Ishukankokai. These reprints were produced to the same exacting standard as Kotondo's originals. Expert carvers were contracted to produce the highest quality wood blocks and printers meticulously reprinted Kotondo's originals with the same attention to quality and detail. These reprints are on beautiful, hand made paper printed with the same colors and mica detail as Kotondo's originals.

Torii Kotondo, 20th century master - Torii Kotondo was a native of Tokyo. He was one of the great shin-hanga masters who excelled in the art of the beauty print. Prints such as his exquisite nude "Kamisuki," the demure beauty in the print titled "Sash," and his lovely image of a young woman in winter in "Peony Snowflakes" are all classic examples of Kotondo's mastery of the beauty print. Kotondo's prints are considered some of the most stunning beauty designs and great masterworks of the 20th century wood block print tradition. His output of beauty prints was a very small (22 works total), and the number of prints produced of each image was also small. Original Kotondo prints are very rare and highly sought after by collectors today. His best images easily exceed $10,000 in the Japanese print market.

After Kotondo's death, with the permissions of his heirs, the venerable publisher Ishukankokai produced a limited edition set of 12 Kotondo beauty designs. Only 100 sets were produced. These fantastic Kotondo designs were again available in strictly limited quantity for collectors to enjoy. Today, once again, Kotondo works are almost impossible to find in the market, including these Ishukankokai prints.

Peony Snowflakes - Limited Edition Commemorative Print - This incredible Kotondo print is without question one of his greatest designs. Peony Snowflakes is also a personal favorite. An excellent design depicting a young beauty looking demurely over her left shoulder, wearing a heavy winter kimono and carrying an umbrella to keep the snow out of her hair. She is a classic early 20th century Japanese beauty with her hair pinned high in a formal style and her flawless white skin very lightly accented with the pink blush- a stunning portrait. The term “peony snowflakes” a Japanese expression for the large, wet snowflakes falling in this scene. A beautifully colored design in soft tones. Her kimono patterns are printed utilizing the grain of the wood block and marks of the rubbing tool to give those areas a lovely texture. This is an incredible wood block print and would make an excellent display.

Signed - Kotondo-ga
Seal - Kotondo
Publisher - Ishu Kankokai, with red moneybag seal
Carver/Printer - Ito Susumu/Watanabe Yoshiaki
Image size - 10 1/4" x 16 1/8"
Sheet size - 13" x 19"

Artist - Torii Kotondo (1900 - 1976)

Condition - This print with pristine condition overall, excellent with no issues to report. Fine color, excellent detail, a top-notch printing job. Full margins, not backed. No holes, tears, damage, repairs, or any issues to report.