KEISAI EISEN • KAKEMONO-E · FULL-LENGTH BEAUTY · TENPŌ ERA · c. 1840 Japanese Woodblock Print - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)
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Selected by Giovanni Bottero
Holds a master’s in Japanese art history with over 10 years’ expertise in Asian art.
Estimate € 250 - € 450
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Japan; an original Keisai Eisen kakemono-e depicting a full-length beauty from the Tenpō era, c. 1840, consisting of two separate ōban sheets forming one vertical design, 36 cm high by 73 cm wide, with a kiwame censor seal, from a private collection and in fair condition.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Artist: Keisai Eisen (渓斎英泉)
Title: Beauty with Bat Obi and Duck Kimono
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e)
Format: Kakemono-e, two seperate ōban sheets (each approx. 24*36cm) forming one vertical design
Date: c. 1840 (Tenpō era)
Signature: Keisai Eisen ga (渓斎英泉画)
Seals: Kiwame (極) censor seal
See Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art: https://asia-archive.si.edu/object/FSC-GR-625a-b/
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CONDITION
Fair color and impression, mild toning and soiling, light repair mark on the margins, two separate sheets. Overall fair condition! Please check the images carefully.
____________________________________________________________
About the Print
Keisai Eisen was the leading designer of beauty prints (bijinga) in the 1820s and 1830s. He moved away from the tall, idealised women of Utamaro's generation toward a more worldly and sensual type, and his women are often read as the most characteristic faces of late-Edo taste. He knew the pleasure quarters well, having run a brothel in Nezu for a time, and he wrote as well as painted. His output shrank in the 1840s, and he died in 1848.
The kakemono-e format was a publisher's answer to a practical demand. Two full-size sheets were printed to join vertically into a single tall image that could be mounted and hung like a scroll painting, giving buyers a full-length figure at a fraction of the cost of a painting. Many were hung, handled and worn out, so complete pairs with both sheets present are the exception rather than the rule. Here the design shows a beauty whose sash carries a bat motif, a traditional emblem of good fortune borrowed from China, where the word for bat sounds like the word for luck, worn over a kimono patterned with ducks. The kiwame seal dates the print to before the Tenpō reforms of 1842, which banned lavish prints of courtesans and geisha and brought this kind of luxurious full-length beauty to a halt.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Artist: Keisai Eisen (渓斎英泉)
Title: Beauty with Bat Obi and Duck Kimono
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e)
Format: Kakemono-e, two seperate ōban sheets (each approx. 24*36cm) forming one vertical design
Date: c. 1840 (Tenpō era)
Signature: Keisai Eisen ga (渓斎英泉画)
Seals: Kiwame (極) censor seal
See Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art: https://asia-archive.si.edu/object/FSC-GR-625a-b/
_______________________________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Fair color and impression, mild toning and soiling, light repair mark on the margins, two separate sheets. Overall fair condition! Please check the images carefully.
____________________________________________________________
About the Print
Keisai Eisen was the leading designer of beauty prints (bijinga) in the 1820s and 1830s. He moved away from the tall, idealised women of Utamaro's generation toward a more worldly and sensual type, and his women are often read as the most characteristic faces of late-Edo taste. He knew the pleasure quarters well, having run a brothel in Nezu for a time, and he wrote as well as painted. His output shrank in the 1840s, and he died in 1848.
The kakemono-e format was a publisher's answer to a practical demand. Two full-size sheets were printed to join vertically into a single tall image that could be mounted and hung like a scroll painting, giving buyers a full-length figure at a fraction of the cost of a painting. Many were hung, handled and worn out, so complete pairs with both sheets present are the exception rather than the rule. Here the design shows a beauty whose sash carries a bat motif, a traditional emblem of good fortune borrowed from China, where the word for bat sounds like the word for luck, worn over a kimono patterned with ducks. The kiwame seal dates the print to before the Tenpō reforms of 1842, which banned lavish prints of courtesans and geisha and brought this kind of luxurious full-length beauty to a halt.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Details
Dynastic Style/Period
Edo Period (1600-1868)
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Height
36 cm
Width
73 cm
Title of artwork
KEISAI EISEN • KAKEMONO-E · FULL-LENGTH BEAUTY · TENPŌ ERA · c. 1840 Japanese Woodblock Print
Condition
Fair condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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