Two Bijin and Parasol
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
$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.
Two Bijin and Parasol depicts a pair of beautiful women sharing the shade of a traditional Japanese umbrella, a composition that allows Shuho to explore the visual and social dynamics between two figures rather than presenting a solitary subject. The parasol, or higasa, functioned as both a practical sun shield and a fashionable accessory, and its shared use implies intimacy between the two women, whether as friends, sisters, or companions.
The oban woodblock print uses the parasol as a compositional device, its circular canopy creating a frame within the frame that draws the two figures together. Shuho renders each woman with distinct features and clothing, avoiding the trap of producing identical faces that plagued lesser bijin-ga artists. The interplay between the two subjects creates a narrative tension absent from single-figure compositions, inviting the viewer to speculate about their relationship and the occasion for their shared outing.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Two Bijin and Parasol was created by Yamakawa Shuho (山川秀峰).
Two Bijin and Parasol was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Two Bijin and Parasol depicts bijin-ga.
