Kasamatsu Shiro 紫浪: Morning at the Hot Spring in Nozawa, Shinshu 温泉の朝 信州野澤 (First Edition) (SOLD)

Artist: Kasamatsu Shiro 紫浪 (1898-1991)

Title: Onsen no asa, Shinshu Nozawa 温泉の朝 信州野澤 (Morning at the Hot Spring in Nozawa, Shinano Province)  Date: 1933 昭和8年

Intimate view of two women relaxing in an open-air onsen, the world far away. One woman with an elaborate hairstyle is immersed in the bath, her naked form visible beneath the clear water. She may be a geisha who is now relaxing at dawn after a long night of entertaining clients. Her companion crouches to test the water with her hand, her towel draped modestly over her knee. As the wooden spout fills the pool, concentric circles indicate the movement of the ripples. The color of the water itself is also masterful, as we get a sense of the rich minerals which give the bath a soft tint. Steam rises delicately in the air, and the haze of the steam is depicted with great skill by Watanabe Shôzaburo’s team of craftsmen, as it softens and blurs the edges of the design elements that are behind it. To the side we see wooden buckets and woven baskets, one basket holding the robes removed by the women. A beautiful touch is the branch of blooming flowers that has been tucked into a hinoki bucket to provide decoration. Above the lower walls of the onsen rises a wooden lattice that provides a picture-perfect backdrop of the surrounding trees  enveloped in the soft glow of dawn, much like the women are enveloped by the warm mist of steam. This intimate scene is one of the artist’s finest works.

Nozawa Onsen is a hot spring resort located in Nozawa Onsen Village; it has  has prospered as a hot spring resort since ancient times, appearing in the historical record as far back as 1272. In 1998 the Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort was one of the host venues for the Nagano Olympics. It was counted as one of the famous “Three Great Hot Springs of Japan” by the emperor himself. Although undoubtedly many historical onsen remain,  this design captures the essence of the early Showa period. Although very celebrated, this design is quite scarce in this condition and edition. This may be considered a first edition, with the Watanabe seal applied at lower right that was in use between 1932 and 1941.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition..
Dimensions: ôban 39.2 x 26.4 cm.
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô  Signature: Shiro 

SKU: SHR029