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.
Steam rises from a hot bath, the warm vapor represented by the word yuge — the specific rising steam of bath water rather than steam in general. The full title Vapour (Yuge) in both English and Japanese names the precise phenomenon depicted, emphasizing Kotondo's interest in the specific sensory qualities of the bathing experience. The print belongs to his 1929 series of bathhouse subjects, each approaching the female body within the enveloping atmosphere of hot water and steam.
Mutsu Tsuta onsen
1919
Color woodblock print; oban
1943
Color woodblock print
Autumn 1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
1924
Color woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Vapour- Yuge — ゆげ was created by Torii Kotondo (鳥居言人) in 1929.
Vapour- Yuge — ゆげ was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1929).
Vapour- Yuge — ゆげ depicts nude, bijin-ga, and daily life.
