Kishio Koizumi

1893-1945

One Hundred Pictures of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era: Horikiri Iris Garden in Katsushika (no. 53)
(Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue: Katsushika-ku horikiri no hanashobu)

self-carved, self-printed; signed within the composition, Izumi in kanji and KOIZUMI KISIO in block Roman letters, print title on the upper left margin in black, Katsushika-ku horikiri no hanashobu, the series title on the right margin, Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue, dated and numbered, vhanga kanseiban, dai kyunen rokugatsu saku, gojusan kei (complete print series, 9th year [1934], 6th month, no. 53), and signed in pencil, Koizumi Kishio, 1934

dai oban yoko-e 11 7/8 by 15 1/2 in., 30.3 by 39.4 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.

The village of Horikiri was long associated with flower cultivation, though it is particularly famous for the hanashobu variety of iris that thrives in low-lying swampy terrain. Established in the 19th century as a tourist attraction, the new Horikiri Iris Garden remains a popular destination during the peak season in mid-June when blossoming flowers compete with the beautiful women in kimono.

Koizumi commented on this design in the annotated index with fondness: There are several iris gardens similar to this in the neighborhood. Many visitors flock here May and June.

References:
James T. Ulak, et. al., Tokyo: The Imperial Capital, Woodblock Prints by Koizumi Kishio, 2003, p. 96 (Koizumi checklist)
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 Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints, Koizumi Kishio (1893-1945), (www.myjapanesehanga.com)
The Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida, Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, no. TD1993.69.1.53
(inv. no. 10-5654)

offered as a set

price: (reserved)