Shin Hanga prints


  Design: Tsuchiya Kōitsu (1870-1949)  
  Title: Matsushima  
  Size: 25.7 x 17.8 cm (chūban)  
  Posthumous printing from the original woodblocks    
  Photography: Jacques Commandeur
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Koitsu Matsushima

Enlargement


Print title in the bottom left-hand corner of the print era:

Character Reading Meaning Translation
       
matsu pine  
shima island Matsushima

Followed by the artist’s name, together with a red Shin seal:

Koitsu Shin Seal 3

in which the three kanji read:

Character Reading Meaning Translation
       
light  
itsu diverge Kōitsu
shin true true

Original publishing date in right margin:

Character Reading Meaning Translation
       
shō clear  
wa peace  
ten  
ichi one Made in
nen year the Shōwa era,
ichi one the 11th year,
gatsu month the 1st month
saku make (i.e., January 1936)

Embossed names of the current and original publisher, and names of the original carver and current printer in left margin:

Character Reading Meaning Translation
       
asa shallow  
kusa grass Asakusa
moku wood  
han block  
kan building Mokuhankan
       
do earth  
i a well Doi
han printing block  
ga picture  
ten shop Hangaten
       
hori carver  
ha    
ra    
da   Carver: Harada
       
suri printer  
ō large  
hashi bridge Printer: Ōhashi


Here is a picture I was able to take of the same spot while visiting Japan in October 2019 (click to enlarge):

Matsushima Godaido Hall
Current-day Matsushima Godaidō hall

How this print was made is illustrated in a set of three videos made by David Bull, starting off with this one shown on YouTube here.


References


Provenance: Mokuhankan

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