Kasamatsu Shiro 紫浪: Snow at Yomei Gate, Nikko (SOLD)

Artist: Kasamatsu Shiro 紫浪 (1898-1991)
Title: Snow at Yomei Gate, Nikko  Date: 1952

Snow at Yomei Gate, Nikko.  Although the snow has muffled some of the decoration, bright gold and vermilion shine through even on this cloudy winter’s day. The artist has chosen an oblique view, as did Hasui in his 1930 design of this same location (although Hasui’s view is from the other side of the entrance steps.) Yomeimon Gate at Nikko Toshogu Shrine is a National Treasure that is decorated with 240,000 sheets of gold leaf and hundreds of detailed carvings. The shrine dates from the early 17th century, and in 1636 the third shogun Iemitsu dedicated it to the Tokugaya Ieyasu, the first shogun of Edo Japan. This was published in the early 1950s by Unsodo.

The artist worked with the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo between 1919 and the late 1940s. In the early 1950s, he created woodblock designs for the Kyoto publisher, Unsodo, as here. Later,  “Kasamatsu ventured out on his own, carving, printing, and selling his prints. In doing so, he followed the credo of the sôsaku hanga ("creative print": 創作版画) movement — jiga, jikoku, jizuri ("self-painted [drawn or designed], self-carved, self-printed": 自画 自刻 自摺).”  

This is the first edition, published by Unsodo in Kyoto. Note that there are later editions of this work to be found, but few to be found in this first edition. The publisher’s mark and seal of Shinmi the printer and Nagashima the carver are located in the left margin, above the date of Showa 27 (1952). In later editions, the date of Showa 27 has been removed, and it  is replaced with other markings.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Mint
Dimensions: 40.5 x 26.7 cm
Publisher: Unsodo Signature: Shiro 

References: See Minneapolis Institute of Art, Austrian Museum of Applied Arts.

SKU: SHR040