| Object |
Ukiyo-e woodblock print portfolio (fukkokuban 復刻版) — 6 ōban bijin-ga + original washi folio |
| Attribution |
After Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿, 1753–1806) — a vintage reproduction, NOT an original Edo-period print |
| Plates |
6 multi-block colour woodblock reproductions on washi + multilingual caption booklet |
| Print size |
38.2 × 26.0 cm (15.0 × 10.2″) each — full ōban (大判) |
| Folio size |
49.5 × 35.5 cm (19.5 × 14.0″) closed |
| Weight |
691 g (1.52 lb) — folio + 6 prints + caption book |
| Material |
Washi paper (和紙); multi-block woodblock (mokuhanga) |
| Technique |
Hand-pulled multi-block colour woodblock with kentō registration (genuine woodblock, not litho/offset) |
| Folio |
Red deckled-edge washi cover, titled 「浮世絵」(Ukiyo-e) on a seigaiha gold-pattern slip |
| Era |
Late Shōwa, estimated 1960s–1980s (dated by the 6-language caption incl. Russian) |
| Subject |
Bijin-ga (美人画, beautiful-women) — geisha, mother & child, hair-combing, lovers |
| Condition |
Excellent — clean, full colour, no foxing, no tears/creases; unrestored |
| Included |
Washi folio + multilingual caption booklet + 6 ōban prints |
Vintage ukiyo-e woodblock portfolio — six bijin-ga after Utamaro
A complete vintage Japanese woodblock-print portfolio of six bijin-ga (美人画 / beautiful-women) compositions after Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿, 1753–1806), gathered in their original deckled-edge red washi folio titled 「浮世絵」(Ukiyo-e). Each sheet is a multi-block colour woodblock impression on Japanese washi at full ōban size (大判, 38.2 × 26 cm) — the colour registration, kentō marks, and soft tactile relief of the line-block confirm these are genuine woodblock-printed reproductions, not lithograph or offset.
Honest attribution — a reproduction (fukkokuban), not an original Edo print
These six prints are vintage Japanese reproduction woodblock prints (fukkokuban 復刻版) — not original Edo-period Utamaro impressions. Original Kansei-era Utamaro prints are museum-tier objects priced in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per impression; this is a high-quality multi-block woodblock reproduction printed by a Japanese woodblock publisher in the late Showa era for the international art market. Fukkokuban is itself a respected Japanese craft — these sheets are cut and printed by skilled woodblock artisans using traditional kentō registration and natural pigment on washi. The reproduction publisher is not identified on the folio.
• Curated by ZenKiln from a Japan-based sourcing studio. Original designs by Kitagawa Utamaro (Edo period, Kansei era); this object is a late-Showa fukkokuban reproduction portfolio.
The six plates
Each plate carries a printed caption sheet describing the original in six languages (Japanese, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish):
- 「西国の芸者」 — "Geisha of the Western Provinces" (ōkubi-e close-up; original c. Kansei 7 / 1795)
- 「逢身八契」 — "Joyful Meeting" / Chūbei and Umekawa, lovers from the Chikamatsu tragedy (original end-Kansei)
- 「山姥と金太郎図」 — "Yamauba and Kintarō" / the mountain woman and her son (Utamaro's late period)
- 「婦人相学拾躰 — かみすき」 — "Woman Combing," from the Ten Studies of Womanly Physiognomy series (original c. Kansei 3 / 1791)
- 「歌撰恋の部 物思恋図」 — "Love-thinking," from the Anthology of Poems: Love section (original c. Kansei 4 / 1792)
- 「高名美人六家撰」 — "One of the Six Selected Famous Beautiful Geisha" (original mid-Kansei)
About Utamaro
Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806) is the most internationally recognized master of bijin-ga ukiyo-e. His Kansei-era work — the period these six plates reproduce — established the classical vocabulary of Japanese feminine portraiture, and his ōkubi-e (大首絵 / close-up portraits) revolutionized the genre in the 1790s. After his death his prints became a foundational influence on the European Japonisme movement, shaping Manet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and the early Van Gogh.
Dating this portfolio
The six-language caption sheet — including Russian alongside the major Western European languages — places the production firmly in the postwar Cold War cultural-exchange export window, narrowing the estimate to roughly the 1960s–1980s (late Showa). The folio's 「浮世絵」 title slip on a seigaiha (青海波 / wave) gold-pattern washi is the standard presentation format used by Japanese fukkokuban publishers of that period.
Condition
Excellent. The red washi folio's deckled edges are intact; the prints are clean with full colour saturation, no foxing or significant toning, and no creases, tears, or losses to any plate. Unrestored. Additional close-up photos of any plate or the folio are available on request.
Display & use
Each print frames beautifully as a standalone object — the ōban sheets fit standard A3 / 30 × 40 cm frames with a single passe-partout mat. The six can hang as a grid, a horizontal run over a sofa, or a vertical sequence up a staircase. For collectors, the portfolio is just as valuable kept intact and stored flat — the original washi folio is part of the historical object and protects the prints from light and handling.
Care
Handle with clean dry hands or cotton gloves. Store the portfolio flat in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. If framing for long-term display, use UV-protective glass. Washi is archival material and stable for generations when stored properly.
Included
- 1 × original red washi deckled-edge folio with 「浮世絵」 seigaiha title slip
- 1 × multilingual caption booklet (Japanese, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish)
- 6 × ōban-size bijin-ga woodblock reproduction prints after Utamaro
- Hand-packed flat between rigid backers in a double-walled carton from Japan; insured in transit
About ZenKiln — A Japan-based curator connecting international collectors with Japan's artisan ceramic tradition. We work closely with the kilns, workshops, and makers featured in our shop — each one disclosed in our About section — and hand-pack every piece in Japan for safe delivery worldwide.
📦 Ships from Japan, hand-packed for safe delivery.
