Hirado Island (FIRANDO)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- wbp
Typical Price
$500–$4,000. Common subjects: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: As an early sosaku-hanga pioneer, Kawakami's prints have historical significance. His distinctive graphic style is collected.
Description
"Hirado Island (FIRANDO)" depicts the small island off the northwestern coast of Kyushu that served as the first base for European trade in Japan — the Portuguese arrived at Hirado in 1550, and the Dutch East India Company maintained a factory there from 1609 until its relocation to Dejima in 1641. "Firando" is the Portuguese romanization of Hirado, connecting this print explicitly to the period of Portuguese and Dutch contact that was Kawakami's signature subject. The island itself — hilly, small, facing the sea — carried the weight of Japan's first systematic encounter with Europe.
More Prints by Sumio Kawakami
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hirado Island (FIRANDO) was created by Sumio Kawakami (川上澄生).
Hirado Island (FIRANDO) depicts landscapes, seascapes, and travel scenes.