Actor and Umbrella with Cherry Blossoms

Date:: Not set
Medium:: Woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo

Edition:

Published by Watanabe Shozaburo

Source:

Typical Price

Kotondo's bijin-ga are prized for their psychologically intimate portrayals of modern Tokyo women. With only 21 designs and original woodblocks destroyed, all genuine 1930s impressions are scarce. Sotheby's estimated "Summer Geisha" at $8,000–$12,000 in 2023.

Later impressions: $500–$2,500
Original 1930s editions, good condition: $4,000–$15,000
Exceptional original impressions: $15,000–$35,000

Description

A kabuki actor in full costume holds an umbrella amid cherry blossoms, the springtime setting creating a theatrical contrast between the actor's formal attire and the soft, ephemeral blooms. Kotondo — born into the Torii school, whose members had designed kabuki promotional imagery for generations — brings particular authority to theatrical subjects, depicting the onnagata tradition with familiarity rather than observation. The cherry blossoms place the performance within the brief, beautiful season that the Japanese associate with transience.