$1,000–$8,000. Common prints: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: As a major nihonga painter, Domoto Insho's prints are valued both as artworks and as affordable entry points to his oeuvre. Paintings command far higher prices.
This [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print depicts Hatsugesho, the first make-up or first grooming of the New Year, a traditional custom in which women, particularly those in the geisha and maiko world, apply their cosmetics with special care to mark the beginning of a new year. Domoto's rendering of this intimate ritual connects his printmaking to the [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) tradition while grounding the subject in a specific seasonal custom. The act of applying make-up becomes a ceremony of renewal, with each brushstroke of white powder, rouge, and black liner carrying the symbolic weight of fresh beginnings. Domoto's Nihonga-trained eye for texture and color serves the subject well, as the contrast between bare skin and applied cosmetics, between the softness of the face and the precision of the make-up, defines the visual interest of the scene.
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
early Shôwa period (1926–1989), 1926/35
Silk, plain weave; stenciled and resist dyed (yûzenzome: ita-age, suri yûzenzome, otoshizome and shigokizome)
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
First Make-Up of the New Year (Hatsugesho) was created by Insho Domoto (堂本印象).
First Make-Up of the New Year (Hatsugesho) depicts figures, bijin-ga, and daily life.
