Shinsui's extensive oeuvre spans bijin-ga, landscapes, and genre subjects. Auction averages over 12 months reflect healthy collector demand across all subject types.
A woman warms herself at a hibachi or hand-warmer filled with glowing charcoal, the warmth visible only in the reddish glow of the coals and the relaxation of the woman's posture against the cold of January 1923. The charcoal foot warmer (kotatsu or hibachi) was a central element of Japanese winter domestic life before modern heating, and Shinsui's choice to depict a woman in this intimate moment of warming herself gives the print an immediacy of lived experience. The early winter date places this in the same period as the Great Kanto Earthquake, though it was published before the disaster.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Charcoal Foot Warmer was created by Ito Shinsui (伊東深水) in January 1923.
Charcoal Foot Warmer was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (January 1923).
Charcoal Foot Warmer depicts bijin-ga, winter, and interiors.
Charcoal Foot Warmer measures 41 × 24.3 cm (Oban format).
