About This Print and the Series Seihō's Masterpieces

This print titled Popup Dolls was released in January 1940 as part of the second of two sets of sixty-six prints titled Seihō's Masterpieces (aka Seihō's Masterworks), printed and issued by Unsōdō Publishing.  It is listed as print 4 (四) in set two's table of contents sheet.

This print, which is also in the Spencer Collection at the New York Public Library, was issued as one of four prints in the first envelope of set two. 

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 a traditionally printed woodblock print.

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	#919
Title	Popup Dolls (okiagari 起上刂) To the left is the label attached to the rear of the sheet the print was originally tipped to.  It reads:  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 起上刂 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 2)
Artist	Takeuchi Seihō (1864-1942)
Signature	Seihō
Seal	unread, as shown above
Publication Date	January 1940
Edition	original and only edition
Publisher	Unsōdō Publishing
Printer	Shinmi Saburō 新味 三朗
Impression	excellent
Colors	excellent
Condition	excellent
Miscellaneous	removed from 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	10 7/8 x 9 3/4 in. (27.6 x 24.8 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.