The spectacular print 'Oukoku eno Kagi-Sono Juni' (The Key of the Kingdom-Part 12) is by Yoshiko Tsubouchi (b. 1966). The technique involves layering aquatint on French paper, pressing gold leaf onto it, and then repeatedly printing another plate on top. This process creates a pictorial surface, and the gold leaf imparts an antique look. The print is remarkably beautiful, inspiring a fantastical sense of time and space.

It is an exceptionally large piece, measuring 21 and 1/2 inches wide by 29 and 1/8 inches tall (54.5 x 74 cm). It is signed, titled, and numbered by the artist in pencil on the bottom margin. This limited edition comprises only 95 sheets.

Yoshiko Tsubouchi was born in Tokyo in 1966. She graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design, specializing in the Department of Printmaking. She furthered her studies at the Academy of Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia, under the mentorship of Dushan Kalai from 2005 to 2007.

Her artworks are held in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the Bratislava Academy of Fine Arts, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, and the Japanese Ambassador's Residence in Slovakia.

Techniques: Etching, Aquatint and Hand coloring
Paper size: 21 and 1/2 inches wide by 29 and 1/8 inches tall (54.5 x 74 cm)
Image size: 17 and 1/2 inches wide by 23 and 1/2 inches tall (44.5 x 59.5 cm)
Sheet number: 15/95
Date: N/A
Signed: Pencil signed by the artist
Condition: Excellent condition, with a few faint ink smudges and a very faint mat line on the margins. Please refer to the pictures.

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