Kishio Koizumi

1893-1945

One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era: Hongan Temple at Tsukiji (no. 89)
(Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue: Tsukiji hongan-ji)

self-carved, self-printed; signed within the composition, Izumi in a diamond-shaped seal with stylized kanji, KOIZUMI KISIO in block Roman letters, print title on the upper left margin in black, Tsukiji hongan-ji, the series title on the right margin, Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue, dated and numbered, hanga kanseiban, dai juninen shigatsu saku, hachijukyu kei (complete print series, 12th year [1937], 4th month, no. 89), and signed in pencil, Koizumi Kishio, 1937

dai oban tate-e 15 3/8 by 11 3/4 in., 38.9 by 30 cm

In 1928 Kishio Koizumi released the first print of this ambitious series of 100 designs. Entirely self-carved and self-printed, the series would take nine years to complete during a period of rapid expanding and rebuilding of Tokyo and tumultuous political and social change in Japan. Koizumi's views of Tokyo reflected an interest in the modernization of the city while at the same time a sense of nostalgic pride in traditional Japan.

In the 1940 annotated index Koizumi leaves a thoughtful insight: This temple is built in the style of Buddhist architecture so that the Buddha won’t become homesick.

References:
James T. Ulak, Tokyo Modern-II, Koizumi Kishio's 1940 Annotations on "100 Views of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era," Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Visualizing Cultures (visualizingcultures.mit.edu), 2009 (Koizumi translation)
The Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida, Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, no. TD1993.69.1.12
(inv. no. 10-5690)

offered as a set

price: (reserved)