Sadao Watanabe Three wise men - Sadao Watanabe - Japan

Title
Sadao Watanabe (1913–1996) – Three Wise Men with Mary and the Christ Child – Kappazuri, 1967
Description
Original Japanese kappazuri stencil print by Sadao Watanabe (1913–1996), dated 1967, depicting the Adoration of the Magi: the Three Wise Men approaching Mary and the Christ Child with their horses.
The composition corresponds to the documented 1967 work Three Wise Men with Mary and the Christ Child.
The work is pencil-signed “Sadao Watanabe” and dated “1967”, with the artist's seal applied beside the signature, and original japanese framing label Sekaidō, Tokyo.
Provenance
A remarkable contemporary provenance is preserved on the reverse of the work.
The original handwritten dedication, dated 11 December 1967, records the presentation of the work to:
Rev. Alfred Schmidt, D.Theol.
by the National Christian Council.
Rev. Alfred Schmidt is independently documented in the Japan Christian Year Book in connection with the Japan Christian Academy, Tokyo, during this period.
The work also retains its period Sekaidō (世界堂), Shinjuku, Tokyo framing label. Sekaidō was established in Shinjuku in 1940 and originally operated as a business specialising in picture frames and paintings.
The combination of the artist's dated signature and seal, the contemporary 1967 dedication, the identifiable recipient and the surviving Tokyo framing label provides unusually well-documented historical context for the work.
The work was acquired by the current owner in Munich, Germany.
Technique
Kappazuri — Japanese stencil print with hand-applied colour.
Artist
Sadao Watanabe (1913–1996) was a major Japanese printmaker particularly known for his Biblical imagery executed using Japanese stencil-printing techniques.
He trained under Serizawa Keisuke and was influenced by Yanagi Sōetsu and the mingei movement. His Biblical prints have been exhibited internationally and are represented in major institutional collections like Vatican and The White House.
Measurements
Size with frame: 40 × 31 cm
Size without frame: 17 × 18 cm
Condition
Very good overall condition.
The work retains its period frame, original Sekaidō framing label and contemporary handwritten dedication. The frame is solid and retains its original appearance.