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.
A woman adjusts her kimono undergarment, caught in the private ritual of dressing. Kotondo renders the loose, unstructured folds of the nagajuban with extraordinary sensitivity, the light-colored silk cascading away from the body in soft waves. The intimacy of the subject — a woman half-dressed, absorbed in her own reflection — exemplifies the artist's gift for finding quiet drama in the mundane acts of feminine life.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kimono Underwear was created by Torii Kotondo (鳥居言人) in July 1929.
Kimono Underwear was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (July 1929).
Kimono Underwear depicts figures, bijin-ga, and interiors.
