East Asia, Japan, Meiji Period, ca. 1920s CE, “Musume Dojoi.” A beautiful woodblock painting on paper depicting a beautiful young woman with patterned red, white, and blue robes. She holds a fan and gazes up at a bell suspended from a flowering branch. The scene is taken from the story of Museume Dojoji, a kabuki dance drama that tells the story of unrequited love. The maiden, Kiyohime, is rebuffed by a Buddhist Priest and out of rage, she transforms into a demon. The demon destroys the Dojo-ji temple bell, thus killing the priest who was sheltering in the temple. Years later, a new bell was to be hung at this temple, a maiden once again appears, transforms into the demon during the dedication ceremony and infiltrates the bell. This print portrays the beautiful maiden before her second demonic possession. On the verso is a separate paper in Japanese with an English translation that describes the work. Size of print: 11.75" L x 7.675" W (29.8 cm x 19.5 cm); size of frame: 21" L x 17" W (53.3 cm x 43.2 cm)

The included description: "Though there is "Shigemasa Furuyama" as a pseudonym in the picture, it is doubtful if there was really such an artist or not. Judging from the picture which is admirably depicted, the painter must have been some master artist of the age when Moroshige and Moromasa were widely known for their pictures of "Kozan" school."

Please note: while this mentions a signature, there is no evidence that this is signed.

Provenance: private Evergreen, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA, collection, acquired 1960 to 2000

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#163852

Creasing to upper and lower corners. Not signed. Framed in a modern glass and wood frame with paper description attached to frame verso.