Box in soft porcelain from Tournai with polychrome decoration – Meyer

The seal of the publisher Watanabe and the mention Tokubetsu-zuri confirms an exceptional proof, validated by workshop.

This print is one of Shinsui's most famous compositions. This work by Itō Shinsui is part of the celebrated series of twelve prints, Shin Bijin Jūni Shi, published by Watanabe in the spring of 1922. The model is the artist's wife, Yoshiko. A young woman is depicted squatting near a wooden bucket, gently wringing out a towel after her bath, wearing a light yukata adorned with floral motifs. If one looks closely at the background behind the woman, one can discern an extremely dense pattern of waves or swirling lines. This effect is not simply printed; it is achieved through the Murasaki-zuri technique, or dry circular brushing with a textured woodblock (baren), demanding absolute technical virtuosity from the printer to create this almost vibrant depth. The woman's black hair is rendered using the tsayazuri (glossy printing) technique, where dense black ink is applied repeatedly, sometimes allowing the intricate engraving lines to show through to create the silky texture of the hair. The whiteness of her skin, contrasting with the yukata and hair, is enhanced by the absence of raw color, using the natural white of high-quality washi paper, magnified by very subtle pinkish gradations (bokashi) at the joints, on the cheeks, and the décolletage. The original 1922 edition is a masterpiece of absolute rarity, as many woodblocks and prints from this pre-1923 period were destroyed in the Great Kantō Earthquake. The fact that this copy bears both the Watanabe publisher's seal and the luxury stamp (Tokubetsu-zuri) on the back makes it an even more precious proof: it attests to a very high-quality limited edition, produced under the strict supervision of the Watanabe firm to do justice to the subtle nuances envisioned by Itō Shinsui. This copy is not merely a first printing; it is a deluxe proof.