Inuhariko, Kimono, Kuma, Flying Carp from the portfolio Loving Service Seal Hanga

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Japanese Color Woodblock Prints

Inuhariko, Kimono, Kuma, Flying Carp from the portfolio Loving Service Seal Hanga

by Shinagawa Takumi, 1953

IHL Cat. #976

About These Prints

Four tiny prints by the artist, printed on a gummed paper with perforations between each print, and tipped into a portfolio strangely titled Loving Service Hanga Seal, published by The Central Community Chest of Japan, Inc., to familiarize foreigners with the revival of Japanese woodblock printing. Descriptions for each print are printed underneath the gummed sheet as shown below. I imagine the small prints were designed as envelope seals, given they were printed on gummed paper.

Inuhariko, Kimono, Kuma, Flying Carp (Koinobori)

click on image to enlarge

Loving Service Seal Hanga

The outside front and back covers of this portfolio are color woodblock prints by Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1955). While the Onchi woodblocks, pictured below, are missing from this particular portfolio the complete portfolio is also held in this collection. (See IHL Cat. #1298.) These cover prints are some of the last works created by Onchi and are not listed in the catalog raisoneé of his prints, Prints of Onchi Koshiro.

An inner folder contains an introduction by Onchi titled "Japanese Woodcut Print"on its front cover and its back cover contains a historical overview titled "Japanese Woodcut Print" also, presumably, by Onchi. The folder encloses ten small gummed woodblock print seals by the noted sosaku hanga (creative print) artists Kitaoka Fumio (1918-2007) and Shinagawa Takumi (1908-2009). To view the prints created by Kitaoka Fumio go to IHL Cat. #977.

front and back of inner folder

click on image to enlarge

six prints by Kitaoka Fumio (1918-2007)
tipped into inner folder
click on image to enlarge
four prints by Shinagawa Takumi (1908-2009)
tipped into inner folder
click on image to enlarge

Description of Kitaoka prints
located underneath the prints
click on image to enlarge

Description of Shinagawa prints
located underneath the prints
click on image to enlarge

Pictured above is the outside cover of the portfolio consisting of two woodblock prints

created by the foremost print-maker of his generation and a founder

of the sosaku-hanga (creative print) movement Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1955).

The inside rear cover of the inner folder states "The work on the back cover is

adapted for framing as it may be desired."

Note: While the Onchi woodblocks are missing from this particular portfolio

the complete portfolio is also held in this collection. (See IHL Cat. #1298.)

Print Details

IHL Catalog	#976
Title	Four small gummed prints titled Inuhariko, Kimono, Kuma and Flying Carp
Series	from the portfolio Loving Service Seal Hanga
Artist	Shinagawa Takumi (1908-2009)
Signature	T. Shinagawa printed below each small print
Seal	none
Publication Date	July 1953
Edition	n/a
Publisher	The Central Community Chest of Japan, Inc.
Impression	excellent
Colors	excellent
Condition	excellent
Genre	sosaku-hanga (creative print)
Miscellaneous
Format
H x W Paper	7 x 4 7/8 (43.8 x 29.8 cm) dimensions are for the entire printed gummed sheet tipped into the presentation page
H x W Image	5 7/8 x 4 (39.7 x 28.9 cm) dimensions are for the area inside the perforations surrounding the four prints
Collections This Print	The British Museum 1989,0314,0.103
Reference Literature

last update:

5/25/2019