- Maihajime (Start of the Dance) -

This extremely rare woodblock print "舞ひ始め- Maihajime" (Start of the Dance) is by Tatsumi Shimura (1907-1980). From "Five Figures of Modern Beauties" (現代美人風俗五態 - Gendai Bijin Fuzoku Gotai). Published by Nihon Hanga Kenkyusho. Publisher seal, pencil numbered, and hand-signed in bottom margin. Red Tatsumi seal and Tatsumi characters in the lower right of the image. Carver's seal Chushichi Nakagawa and the printer's seal Ryuji Onodera in the right margin. The deeply embossed title "Maihajime" in Kanji in center bottom margin.  Please notice the beautiful woodgrain on the red Kimono. Also, her expression is very shy and tasteful. His print shows the beauty in one moment of a Japanese woman's natural gesture, This is a very popular print of Five Figures of Modern Beauties prints. Highly detailed carving. Skillfully over-printed hairlines. Beautiful colors. Lightly embossed. Absolutely stunning handmade woodblock print. This is an icon of the very best Japanese skill in woodblock prints. 

Technique: Woodblock
Paper size: 11 and 3/8 x 18 and 1/4 inches (29 x 46.5 cm)
Image size: 10 x 14 and 3/4 inches (25 x 37.3 cm)
Sheet number: 123/300 
Date: 1980 (Showa 55 nen) 
Signed: Handsigned “Tatsumi” on the bottom margin.
Condition: Very good condition.  A faint spot on the top margin (left side) and a few very faint spots on the upper left corner of the image which is very minor and hardly noticeable. I think it doesn't affect the image at all.  Please see the pictures. 

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