MIGITA TOSHIHIDE · Reading next to a Round Window · MEIJI BIJIN-GA · TWELVE FORMS OF BEAUTY, 1901 - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)
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Selected by Giovanni Bottero
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Migita Toshihide, Reading next to a Round Window, a Meiji bijin-ga print from Twelve Forms of Beauty (1901), an Ōban tate-e woodblock on paper approx. 36 × 24 cm, ink and colour, original/official, in excellent condition, from Japan (private collection).
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Artist: Migita Toshihide 右田年英 (1863–1925), pupil of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Series: Bijin jūni sugata 美人十二姿 (Twelve Portraits of Beauties)
Title: Shimotsuki 霜月 (The Eleventh Month) - Reading next to a Round Window
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24 cm (sheet with margins)
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and colour on paper
Date: 1901 (Meiji 34), date in the margin colophon
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon 秋山武右衛門 (Kokkeidō), publisher's seal in the lower left margin
Signature: 年英 (Toshihide), with the artist's seal Shisuitei
________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Excellent colors, good impression. The paper is clean, firm and subtle with a very light washi backing. Please check the images!
-------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Shimotsuki is the eleventh month of the old lunar calendar, which falls roughly in December of today's calendar. The name means "frost month" and marks the start of winter, when the first hard frosts set in. Museum and dealer records describe this sheet as a young woman reading in front of a large round window. Impressions are in the British Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Bijin jūni sugata is Toshihide's best-known series of beautiful women. Akiyama Buemon published it in 1901, with one sheet for each month of the year, and each sheet ties a woman to the season of her month. These large, carefully printed ōban sheets come from the last phase of traditional bijin-ga in late Meiji, and they still show the influence of Toshihide's teacher, Yoshitoshi.
Toshihide is best known for his prints of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars and for his book frontispieces (kuchi-e). His prints of beautiful women are much less common, and this series is the main example of that side of his work.
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: Migita Toshihide 右田年英 (1863–1925), pupil of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Series: Bijin jūni sugata 美人十二姿 (Twelve Portraits of Beauties)
Title: Shimotsuki 霜月 (The Eleventh Month) - Reading next to a Round Window
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24 cm (sheet with margins)
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and colour on paper
Date: 1901 (Meiji 34), date in the margin colophon
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon 秋山武右衛門 (Kokkeidō), publisher's seal in the lower left margin
Signature: 年英 (Toshihide), with the artist's seal Shisuitei
________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Excellent colors, good impression. The paper is clean, firm and subtle with a very light washi backing. Please check the images!
-------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Shimotsuki is the eleventh month of the old lunar calendar, which falls roughly in December of today's calendar. The name means "frost month" and marks the start of winter, when the first hard frosts set in. Museum and dealer records describe this sheet as a young woman reading in front of a large round window. Impressions are in the British Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Bijin jūni sugata is Toshihide's best-known series of beautiful women. Akiyama Buemon published it in 1901, with one sheet for each month of the year, and each sheet ties a woman to the season of her month. These large, carefully printed ōban sheets come from the last phase of traditional bijin-ga in late Meiji, and they still show the influence of Toshihide's teacher, Yoshitoshi.
Toshihide is best known for his prints of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars and for his book frontispieces (kuchi-e). His prints of beautiful women are much less common, and this series is the main example of that side of his work.
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
Title of artwork
MIGITA TOSHIHIDE · Reading next to a Round Window · MEIJI BIJIN-GA · TWELVE FORMS OF BEAUTY, 1901
Condition
Excellent condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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