1895 "Black Ship Samurai and the Young Girl" Meiji Era First Edition Matted Hand Colored Wood Block Print by Tomioka Eisen

Description

This is an ANTIQUE, Meiji Era, Original, First Edition, Matted, Hand Colored Wood Block Print “Black Ship - Samurai And … more This is an ANTIQUE, Meiji Era, Original, First Edition, Matted, Hand Colored Wood Block Print “Black Ship - Samurai And The Young Girl Leaving For The Western World“ made by Tomioka Eisen in the mid-1890s.  My neighbor recently passed away and I'm helping his family sell off his extensive collections, including a portfolio of Meiji Era Original Wood Block Prints.  He purchased this WONDERFUL STUNNING Eisen Wood Block Print while stationed in Japan in 1953. Although Matted and stored in archival plastic, he never got around to framing it.  This Print was notated in his Estate inventory as “Black Ship With Samurai & Young Girl - 1895". Matted and stored inside archival plastic, this Original Print is in EXCELLENT Condition with minor, age appropriate wear and NO rips, tears, odors or other damage; it comes from a smoke-free, pet-free home.  Matted, it measures approximately 11 1/2 inches tall and approximately 14 inches wide with the cut out Print section measuring approximately 7 3/4 inches tall and approximately 10 3/4 inches wide; it is signed in Kanji and with Tomioka Eisen’s Red Block Mark.  

With VIVID coloring, this superbly executed scene has an EXQUISITE style and the decorative ELEGANCE and GRACE Tomioka Eisen was known for.  The delicate, hand-painted scene shows a western, girl in a red dress sitting on the lap of a Samurai clad in the typical robes of the Meiji era.  The EXOTIC scene is offset by the WONDERFUL added touch of a Black Ship painted in a round cartouche at the upper left of the Print.  This EXQUISITELY handcrafted scene shows the ship sailing under a full moon on the rolling waves of the ocean sea. Presented with skill, the ship scene is watery, misty and smoke strewn.  Evoking the richness of a long ago time, this Wood Block Print is an AMAZING, Museum Quality Print that will make an unusual and striking display piece as it is an EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE, WONDERFUL AND WHIMSICAL picture. This Print has good ink bleed through the thin Japanese washi rice paper and retains the Original BRIGHT colors. Very fine, it was superbly executed by hand and is extremely detailed. I believe this Print was Originally included as an illustration inside a magazine “Bugei Kurabu” or the Black Ship (Kurofune). Tomioka Eisen (1864–1905) was a gifted artist who died at 41. He is best remembered for his powerful and sensitive shunga pieces which fetch very high prices and for his magazine illustrations called kuchi-e. In this print he uses a bold reportage design to show the ship sailing upon roiling waves. The print quality is superb and there is delicate shading in the waves, the young girls dress and the skin tones of the Samurai. A rare print of high quality, it is a VERY GOOD First Edition, with FINE color, impression and condition. less