Kotondo is best known for bijin-ga, but his complete oeuvre includes actor prints and other figure subjects. His small corpus of only 21 designs ensures that all authenticated period impressions carry collector interest and scarcity premiums.
A child plays with a daruma doll — the weighted, eyeless figure associated with the practice of setting intentions and marking their fulfillment. The subject is rendered in Kotondo's characteristic watercolor style, looser and more exploratory than the highly finished woodblock prints for which he is celebrated. Daruma dolls were a beloved motif of New Year celebrations, their tumbling and self-righting form embodying the spirit of perseverance. Kotondo captures the child's absorption in play with affectionate observation.
Kamakura Daibutsu
1930
Color woodblock print
1950
Color woodblock print
大仏
Woodblock print
1926
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Daruma Doll Game was created by Torii Kotondo (鳥居言人) in 1930.
Daruma Doll Game was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1930).
Daruma Doll Game depicts religious, children, and daily life.
