Bijin in Red and Black Kimono (1)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Ohmi Gallery
$1,000–$10,000. Beauty prints by this artist are particularly sought after. Good bijin-ga prints: $3,000–$6,000. Key value factors: Yamakawa's limited output and early death at 46 make his prints relatively scarce. Quality bijin-ga command steady prices.
Bijin in Red and Black Kimono pairs two of the most visually potent colors in Japanese textile culture. Red, associated with vitality, celebration, and youth, plays against black's gravity and formality to create a garment that commands attention. This combination appears in various traditional contexts, from the red-lined black haori jackets of the Edo pleasure quarters to festive modern ensembles.
Shuho's oban woodblock print renders this bold color pairing with careful attention to the interplay between the two tones. The red areas, achieved through layers of beni pigment on the woodblock, create warmth against the cool density of the sumi-ink black sections. The woman wearing this striking garment occupies the composition with a presence that matches her clothing's visual authority. Shuho balances the strong decorative impact of the kimono with a sensitive rendering of the figure's face, keeping the print from becoming merely a fabric study.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Bijin in Red and Black Kimono (1) was created by Yamakawa Shuho (山川秀峰).
Bijin in Red and Black Kimono (1) was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Bijin in Red and Black Kimono (1) depicts bijin-ga.
