Hiratsuka: Evening Moon over Chidori Castle 千鳥城夕月 (RESERVED)

Artist: Unichi Hiratsuka 平塚運一 (1895-1997)

Title: Evening Moon over Chidori Castle 千鳥城夕月 (Chidori jo yuzuki)

Date: 1939, January

Series: 100 Views of New Japan 新日本百景 (Shin Nihon Hyakkei)

Early evening view of a yellow crescent moon rising above Matsue Castle, also known as Chidori-jo, as the roof gables are said to resemble a plover (chidori) spreading its wings. It is known for its black wooden walls and massive stone base. It was completed in 1611, and is one of only 12 original castle keeps remaining in Japan, and has been designated a National Treasure. Remarkably, the castle survived WWII intact.

Hiratsuka was one of the leading figures of the sosaku hanga movement--the British Museum even says he “qualifies in every respect as the grand old man of the ‘Sosaku Hanga’ movement”. He learned block-carving in 1915 from Igami Bonkotsu, and he showed his first prints in 1916 at the Nika-kai exhibition. and even taught wood carving to Shiko Munakata. Between 1935 and 1944 Hiratsuka taught the first blockprinting course at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Towards the end of his very long life he even lived in Washington, DC.

More than thirty sosaku-hanga print artists collaborated to create this series of prints, published between 1938-41, as regional conflicts eventually ignited into World War II. Only 39 were ever issued; the last 29 were edited by Maekawa Senpan. According to the Art Gallery of New South Wales website, publication of this series was stopped by the Japanese authorities during WWII who feared that the interior of Japan would become known to its enemies. This would not be surprising given the paranoia of wartime, but it is also probable that there were other factors, including limited supplies and artists conscripted into the war machine.

The series title is stamped on the right margin in red, and the name of the artist’s group “Nihon Hanga Kyokai (Sen)” is stamped lower left. 

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Never framed. The artist’s name has been written in pencil lower right margin, but it is not known if this was written by the artist himself. 

Literature: British Museum collection, Carnegie Museum of Art.

Dimensions: 32.7 x 24.5 cm

SKU: SNH037