Taki Katei – Hibiscus (1894)

Description

Original woodblock print by Taki Katei (1830-1901) – Tansei Ippan (Order of Colors) – Japan – 1894

Title: Hibiscus
Published: 1. edition, 1894,  Meiji era
Creator: Taki Katei (1830-1901)
Medium: 1 print: woodcut, color
Size: 325 x 425 mm (12.8 x 16.7 in)

Originally part of Orihon or “folding books” binding consists of individual sheets of paper arranged horizontally and glued together. These books are creased at regular intervals and folded accordion-style. The individual sheets of the book are glued together with a thin strip of natural glue, which simply sticks out when you heat the sheets with steam.

Biography:  Taki Katei 滝和亭 (1830–1901) was nothing short of a giant of the Meiji art world. He was once the highest-paid artist in Tokyo, a leading master of bunjinga (literati painting), and the only painter to be included in the Meiji hyakketsuden 明治百傑伝 (Biographies of One Hundred Meiji Greats) of 1902. His works represented Japan at international expositions and graced the imperial palace. By the 1890s, he was an Imperial Household Artist, had produced artwork for the imperial palace, was a prominent member of the Japan Art Association (Nihon Bijutsu Kyōkai 日本美術協会, hereafter JAA).