About This Print
A monochrome printing, likely the original printing, of the Great Wall of China in Badaling, in the Yanquing District about 50 miles northwest of Beijing's city center, the most visited area of the wall. As shown below, Sekino created a multi-color version in 1977, likely using the same blocks, perhaps with some rework. Other than a 1979 visit to China, I have not been able to determine the years of any earlier trips he may have taken to this area, that would perhaps give insight into the date of this collection's print.
This collection's print, which was sold in its original frame with the below label on the verso providing the title in Japanese 長城八達嶺, artist's name 関野準一郎 and the name of the Nihon bijutsuka renmei 日本美術家連盟 (Japanese Artists Association) which Sekino was both an officer, in its early years, and member of. As the label prefaces the name of the Japanese Artists Association with 社団法人, indicating the organization's incorporation which occurred in June 1959, this helps narrow the date of the print's creation.
This collection's undated print on the right with an almost certainly later printing on the left.
The Great Wall in the Badaling District - built c. 1500 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1604) to protect the
Juyong Pass leading to Beijing, was the first section of the wall to open to tourists in 1957.
The Badaling great wall sits at over 3200 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level.
image source: https://www.daguanxuan.com/spot/2.html
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #2528 |
| Title | 長城八达岭 (as titled on print) [長城八達嶺] Great Wall of China, Badaling |
| Series | |
| Artist | Sekino Jun’ichirō (1914 - 1988) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal |  |
| Publication Date | 1959/1977 |
| Edition | open edition |
| Publisher | self-published |
| Carver | self-carved |
| Printed | likely printed by one of the artist's studio printers |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | fair |
| Condition | fair -extensive paper toning and mottling in margins |
| Genre | sosaku hanga (creative prints) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | |
| H x W Paper | 16 1/2 x 23 in. (41.9 x 58.4 cm) |
| H x W Image | 12 3/4 x 18 in. (32.4 x 45.7 cm) |
| Collections This Print | |
| Reference Literature |
7/10/2021 created
 |  |  |  |  |