Untitled (torii-kotondo)

Date:: 1929 (summer)
Medium:: Woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo

Edition:

Published by Watanabe Shozaburo

Source:

Typical Price

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.

Later impressions or related works: $500–$2,000
Original period works: $2,000–$8,000
Finest examples: $8,000–$20,000

Description

"Untitled" is a shin-hanga print by Torii Kotondo, created during the Taisho and Showa periods. This abstract work reflects the artist's exploration of form, color, and texture through the woodblock medium.

Torii Kotondo approaches abstraction through the unique constraints and possibilities of woodblock printing, where the grain of the wood, the pressure of the baren, and the interaction of pigment and paper all contribute to the final image. Only 21 bijin-ga prints were produced, making them highly prized.

As a sosaku-hanga work — designed, carved, and printed entirely by the artist's own hand — this print embodies the creative philosophy that the printmaker's personal expression should permeate every stage of production, from concept to finished impression.

This print represents Torii Kotondo's contribution to the shin-hanga tradition during the Taisho and Showa periods. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.