Rain (Ame)

Date:: October 1929
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 woman holds an umbrella in the rain, the October 1929 date placing this among Kotondo's final sustained burst of bijin-ga production. The rain — rendered through fine diagonal lines across the composition — surrounds the figure without disturbing her composure. Kotondo's ame (rain) subjects are among his most technically accomplished, requiring the precise registration of hair-thin lines across the full surface of the print while maintaining the atmospheric gradations of the bokashi background.