| Artist | SHIMURA Tatsumi (1907-80) |
| Title | "Start of the Dance" ("Maihajime"); also know as: "Covered Head" ("Houkaburi"). |
| Date | 1953 (Limited edition of 200 prints) |
| Provenance | Found in small Tokyo print shop. |
| Series | "Five Figures of Modern Beauties" ("Gendai Bijin Fuzoku Gotai") |
| Publisher | Nihon Hanga Kenkyusho (Kato Junji) (Tokyo, 1930-53) |
| Seal, Carver/Printer | Nakagawa/Onodera (active c1940-c55, Tokyo) |
| Image Size | 9 7/8 x 14 5/8 (plus wide margins) |
| Impression | Very Fine. Skillfully over-printed hairlines; superb "bokashi" (gradation of colors) shading to face and head-covering; light "gauffrage" to edges of head-covering; distinctly visible woodgrain seen in red kimono and grey background; highly detailed carving. Large, deeply embossed "kanji title" in center bottom margin. |
| Condition | Excellent. (No flaws noted--Still in original "presentation folder.") |
| Reference/Illus | "The Female Image," Plate #260. |
| Comments | A delightful, technical masterpiece--one of a lifetime total of 5 "bijin-ga" images (all 1953). Published only once, as a small limited edition (200 copies) in the early-1950's by Nihon Hanga Kenkyusho Publisher (Kato Junji) of Tokyo. Rarely seen. Roach: "His prints are technical marvels." (Learn more.) |
| Item # | BG-714 (Reserved--SP) (Currently our final copy.) |
| Price | $1850 |