Three Wise Men

Dated 1962, Three Wise Men — from an early edition of 50, on crumpled paper — is among the earliest of Watanabe's Magi prints, establishing the compositional approach he would develop across subsequent years. The three figures' procession, each bearing his distinctive gift, is rendered in the katazome style's characteristic bold palette. The crumpled paper gives the surface an organic richness that suits the scene's mixture of royal splendor and humble destination. This early version shows his synthesis already fully confident in its visual language.