Japanese Woodblock Print, 1998, 1st edition, pencil signed, dated, titled and numbered 15/85 in the bottom margin, published by Shusui Taki

SIZE IN INCHES: oban vertical diptych, 11 x 38 inches

COMMENTS: The full title of this diptych is Jikei Kannon (Bodhisattva of Benevolence). Shusui said of this print: "I had long wanted to depict this lady -- a noted figure in the Ginze entertainment district -- in one of my irezumi series ukiyo-e pieces. Wearing a gauze kimino, with a green jade hairpin in one hand, she is a gentle-looking, alluring beauty. The mirror reflects the tattoo of the Nyorin Kannon bodhisattva on her back." This print was made from 35 woodblocks and 38 ink applications.

SHUSUI TAKI (b. 1938) was born in Nahoya, but did not embark on his artistic career until after the age of 40 in the 1980s. He was inspired by the ukiyo-e beauties of Keisai Eisen (1790-1848), and he started his career spectacularly with a series of large woodblock prints tiitled "Young Maidens - Twelve Months". By the 1990s he had already won several prizes, and his next major series was a series of women with tattoos, not unlike Paul Binnie's tattooed beauties of a decade later. His work is in the British Museum, and he is sometimes referred to as the "Utamaro of the 20th century". Today his prints are in great demand as they were issued in small editions (usually 150), have never been reprinted, and are only seldomly offered for sale.

Fine, no flaws