Kajita Hanko — Kuchi-e — Beauty and Plum Blossoms, 1903 Silver mica - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)
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Original Meiji-era kuchi-e frontispiece by Kajita Hankō, titled Beauty and Plum Blossoms, 1903, a polychrome woodblock print with silver mica, about 22 × 30 cm, signed Hankō, in good condition, from a private collection, Japan.
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Description from the seller
梶田半古 — KAJITA HANKŌ (1870–1917)
Beauty and Plum Blossoms, kuchi-e frontispiece
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), polychrome, with silver mica and burnishing
Date: 1903 (Meiji 36)
Period: Meiji era
Format: Kuchi-e, yoko-e (landscape orientation), approx. 22 × 30 cm
Signature: Signed Hankō (半古), lower right
Condition: Excellent colors and impression. The paper is clean and subtle!
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Description:
The design shows a young woman in a circular inset, holding a slip of paper and a writing brush as if reading a poem or a note she has just written. Branches of white plum blossom extend across the foreground. Silver mica is used on the paper she holds, and the hair is burnished. Plum is the first tree to blossom in the Japanese year, flowering in late winter. In Japanese poetry and painting it has long been linked with the new year, renewal and the writing of verse.
THE ARTIST
Kajita Hankō was born in Tokyo in 1870 as Kajita Jōjirō, the son of a respected metalwork artist. He trained in Shijō-school painting and later under the Nanga painter Ishii Kenkō, and from 1886 he worked under the name Hankō. After a short period as vice-principal of the Toyama Prefectural School of Arts and Crafts, he returned to Tokyo to illustrate for the Yomiuri Shinbun. His illustrations for Ozaki Kōyō's novel Konjiki Yasha (The Golden Demon), serialised from 1900 to 1901, made him one of the most popular illustrators of the time. From 1902 he led a private painting school, where his pupils included Kobayashi Kokei, Maeda Seison and Okumura Togyū, who went on to become leading Nihonga painters of the 20th century.
THE KUCHI-E TRADITION
Kuchi-e are woodblock-printed frontispieces that were bound into Japanese novels and literary magazines between about 1890 and 1915. They were the last major field of traditional Japanese woodblock printing before the shin-hanga movement. They were designed by trained painters and printed with great care, often with mica, metallic pigments and embossing, and most show idealised beauties in a modern Meiji style. Hankō was one of the leading kuchi-e designers, along with Mizuno Toshikata, Takeuchi Keishū and Kaburagi Kiyokata
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.
梶田半古 — KAJITA HANKŌ (1870–1917)
Beauty and Plum Blossoms, kuchi-e frontispiece
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), polychrome, with silver mica and burnishing
Date: 1903 (Meiji 36)
Period: Meiji era
Format: Kuchi-e, yoko-e (landscape orientation), approx. 22 × 30 cm
Signature: Signed Hankō (半古), lower right
Condition: Excellent colors and impression. The paper is clean and subtle!
------------------------------------------
Description:
The design shows a young woman in a circular inset, holding a slip of paper and a writing brush as if reading a poem or a note she has just written. Branches of white plum blossom extend across the foreground. Silver mica is used on the paper she holds, and the hair is burnished. Plum is the first tree to blossom in the Japanese year, flowering in late winter. In Japanese poetry and painting it has long been linked with the new year, renewal and the writing of verse.
THE ARTIST
Kajita Hankō was born in Tokyo in 1870 as Kajita Jōjirō, the son of a respected metalwork artist. He trained in Shijō-school painting and later under the Nanga painter Ishii Kenkō, and from 1886 he worked under the name Hankō. After a short period as vice-principal of the Toyama Prefectural School of Arts and Crafts, he returned to Tokyo to illustrate for the Yomiuri Shinbun. His illustrations for Ozaki Kōyō's novel Konjiki Yasha (The Golden Demon), serialised from 1900 to 1901, made him one of the most popular illustrators of the time. From 1902 he led a private painting school, where his pupils included Kobayashi Kokei, Maeda Seison and Okumura Togyū, who went on to become leading Nihonga painters of the 20th century.
THE KUCHI-E TRADITION
Kuchi-e are woodblock-printed frontispieces that were bound into Japanese novels and literary magazines between about 1890 and 1915. They were the last major field of traditional Japanese woodblock printing before the shin-hanga movement. They were designed by trained painters and printed with great care, often with mica, metallic pigments and embossing, and most show idealised beauties in a modern Meiji style. Hankō was one of the leading kuchi-e designers, along with Mizuno Toshikata, Takeuchi Keishū and Kaburagi Kiyokata
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
Meiji period (1868-1912)
Number of objects
1
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Height
30 cm
Width
22 cm
Title of artwork
Kajita Hanko — Kuchi-e — Beauty and Plum Blossoms, 1903 Silver mica
Condition
Good condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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