About This Print and the Series Seihō's Masterpieces
This print titled Coiled Serpent was released was released on December 5, 1937 as part of the first of two sets of sixty-six prints titled Seihō's Masterpieces (a.k.a. Seihō's Masterworks) printed and issued by Unsōdō Publishing. This print, which is also in the Spencer Collection at the New York Public Library, was issued as one of three prints in the fourth envelope of set one. The colophon, shown below, pasted to the envelope, gives the dates of printing and issue, the titles of the prints, copyright information, and information about the publisher.
A combination of print processes (see further discussion see the article "Takeuchi Seihō: Seihō's Masterpieces.") were used for this series and this particular print is likely a woodblock print.
Dated December 5, 1937
Date of issue reads Showa 12 (1937), 12th month, 5th day
Date of printing reads Showa 12 (1937), 12th month, 1st day
click on image to enlarge
The Series "Seihō's Masterpieces"
For images of all sixty-six prints and a description of the series, please go to the article "Takeuchi Seihō: Seihō's Masterpieces."Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #899 |
| Title | Coiled Serpent (蟠蛇) Across the top: 不許複製 All rights reserved Rightmost column: 竹内栖鳳先生筆 Takeuchi Seihō sensei hitsu with title of print 蟠蛇 to its left. Leftmost column: 芸艸堂 publisher's name Unsōdō, copyright restrictions and addresses of Unsōdō's offices in Kyoto and Tokyo. |
| Series | Seihō's Masterpieces (栖鳳逸品集 Seihō's ippin shū) (set 1) |
| Artist | Takeuchi Seihō (1864-1942) |
| Signature |  Seihō |
| Seal | "hō" seal as shown above |
| Publication Date | December 5, 1937 - (as printed on colophon for envelope 4 containing the print) |
| Edition | original and only edition |
| Publisher | Unsōdō Publishing |
| Printer | Shinmi Saburō 新味 三朗 |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent |
| Miscellaneous | mounted at top corners on its original heavy paper backing/matting. |
| Genre | nihonga (also classed as e-hon, as the series prints exist as bound volumes) |
| Format | non-standard |
| H x W Paper and Image | 14 3/8 x 17 1/2 in. (36.5 x 44.5 cm ) |
| Collections This Print | New York Public Library, Spencer Collection; Rijksmuseum RP-P-2005-615-20 |
| Reference Literature | The Artist and the Book in Japan, Roger S. Keyes, The University of Washington Press with New York Public Library, December 2006, p. 252-253; The Art of the Japanese Book, 2 vols., Jack Hillier, Sotheby's Publications, 1987, p. 992-993. |
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