Bidspirit auction | Koryusai Isoda, Courtesan Sugawara, Hashira-e

Koryusai Isoda, Courtesan Sugawara, Hashira-e - Artist: Koryusai Isoda (1735-1790) Title: Courtesan Sugawara from Fujiya Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi Date: c.1770s Size: 70.6 x 12.1 cm Condition: Both panels attached, light foxing, wear and soiling, creases, holes and tear restored. Hashira-e, or pillar prints, is a narrow print format originally intended for decoration of the supporting pillars in traditional Japanese houses. The prints would have been pasted to the pillars and exposed to the elements of the Japanese household, making those that have survived very rare collectibles. While these more unusual sizes present their own challenges to the printing process, they also allow the artist to be experimental, imaginative, and innovative with the designs compositional limitations. Subjects range from the traditional portrayals of bijin (beautiful women), to legendary figures and heroes, to birds and flowers, in a limited space brimming with artistic imagination and expression. Ref: JG012617-27