Description
Beautiful woodblock print of the kuchi-e (口絵) type, taken from vol. 18 n. 8 of the famous literary magazine Bungei Kurabu (文芸倶楽部) and made by the artist Tsutsui Toshimine (筒井年峰) as the frontispiece of the novel “The Festival Night” (祭の夜). In the foreground a dancer holding with her left hand a shakujo (錫杖) ceremonial stick. On the right side of the print a chochin (提灯) lantern decorated with a mitsudomoe (三つ巴).
Tsutsui Toshimine (1863 – 1934) was born in the Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県) and was probably a pupil of the famous Tsukiyoka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年), as can be deduced from the fact that his name is mentioned on the memories of the latter. An illustrator for newspapers and magazines, in the first decade of the 20th century he concentrated on the front pages of the novels.
The work, published in June 1912 by the Hakubunkan (博文館) publishing house, despite some signs of aging and a partial trimming of the margins, is in good general condition.
