Item #89871 Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist. Seitei Kachō 省亭花鳥, Bird and Flower, Prints.
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist
Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist

Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist

1916. Item #89871

Seitei Kachō 省亭花鳥 [Prints] [Bird and Flower]

Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (also Shōtei), artist

Tokyo: Okura Shoten, Okura Yasugoro

Taisho 5 [1916]

Brown cloth clasped portfolio, 28.2 x 38 cm. A complete collection of the 22 color prints, the preface and table of contents page, 24 sheets in all, with a colophon label on the inside of the rear cover.

A wonderful production in color woodblock of the work of the important artist Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭 (1851-1918). Okura Shoten was also the publisher of Seitei's other two books, the 3 volume Seitei Kachō Gafu 省亭花鳥画譜 of 1890-1 and the Kachō Gafu 花鳥画譜 of 1903, but this portfolio is by far the rarest of all his works. Prints from the series are seldom seen and much prized, complete sets like this one are vanishingly rare.

After studying under Kikuchi Yōsai 菊池容斎 (1788-1878, also known as Kikuchi Takeyasu and Kawahara Ryōhei) and established artist Shibata Zeshin 柴田是真 (1807-1891) in his youth, he traveled to Europe in 1878. One of the early practitioners of the Nihonga 日本画 style of Western-influenced traditional painting, he is primarily known for his work with bird and flower subjects, which he revolutionized with his delicate and playful ability to capture the reality of color, plumage, and other details.

Overall the condition of the covers is quite good and the prints are well printed. The heavy paper on which the prints are mounted are a bit toned but the prints themselves are quite good and clean, with wonderful colors and impressions. A cornerstone of any Japanese bird and flower collection. Enclosed in a custom clasped cloth box.

Price: $6,500.00