Falling Star Pine Tree at Zenyoji Temple #64 from the series One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era

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Japanese Color Woodblock Print

Falling Star Pine Tree at Zenyoji Temple (#64)

from the series One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo

in the Showa Era

by Kishio Koizumi, 1935

IHL Cat. #99

About This Print

Number sixty-four of the one hundred prints that make up the series Showa dai Tokyohyakuzue (One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo During Showa). Koizumi startedthis series in 1928 and completed it twelve years later in 1940.

For more information on this series see "The Series - One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo During Showa (Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue)" under the artist's biography.

Artist's Annotation

Source: MIT Visualizing Cultures website http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/tokyo_modern_02/annotation.html
In 1940, Koizumi created woodblock print charts containing print titles, dates, and comments for this series. His comment for this print follows:

“This pine tree has the beauty of a cultivated bonsai plant. It is about 110 feet. The name of the tree comes from a legend.”

Other Impressions - Reference Images for this Print

TheNational Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo P00131-026

A more recent picture of Falling Star pine tree at Zenyo-ji Shrine. It is a Japanese black pine eight meters high. It branches off in all directions at a level of 1.8 meters to form a circular roof having a diameter of about 28 meters. The pine has been in failing health and the Japanese government has undertaken studies on how best to preserve it.

Print Details

IHL Catalog	#99
Title	Falling Star Pine Tree at Zenyoji Temple (also known as Hoshifuri Pine) 江戸川区・善養寺ノ星降り松
Series	One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue 昭和大東京百図絵
Reference Number	#64 (artist's annotated portfolio list from c. 1940)
Artist	Koizumi Kishio (1893-1945)
Signature	KoizumiKishio (Roman letters) and Izumi 泉 in image and artist's pencil signature"Koizumi Kishio" in Japanese in right hand margin.
Seal
Publication Date	June 1935
Edition	unknownedition. Thisprint has the series information in the right margin as opposed to theprint (shown below) from The National Museum of Modern Art,Tokyo which has the series title in the left margin.
Publisher	likely self-published; some sources list publisher as Asahi Press (see "The Publisher of the Series" under the artist's bio Koizumi Kishio.)
Impression	excellent
Colors	excellent
Condition	excellent - light toning
Miscellaneous
Genre	sosaku hanga (creative prints)
Format	dai oban
H x W Paper	15 3/8 x 11 7/8 in. (39.1 x 30.2 cm)
H x W Image	14 5/8 x 11 in. (37.1 x 27.9 cm)
Collections This Print	TheNational Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo P00131-026; Wolfsonian-Florida International University TD1993.69.1.43
Reference Literature	Tokyo: The Imperial Capital Woodblock prints by Koizumi Kishio,1928-1940, Marianne Lamonaca, The Wolfsonian-Florida InternationalUniversity, 2004, p. 97; Hanga ni miru Tokyo no fukei; Kanto daishinsai kara senzen made, Ota Kuritsu Kyodo Hakubutsukan, 2002, pl. 142, p.38.