Hokkei

(1780 - 1850)

"Beauty and Boy with a Kite"
(descriptive title)

Surimono and Reprint
Alterations



HOKKEI
                "Beauty and Boy with Kite" (Surimono) Reprint: HOKKEI, "Beauty and Boy with
                  Kite" (Surimono)
"Beauty and Boy with a Kite"  (1830) "Beauty and Boy with a Kite" Surimono
as an Meiji Era Reprint
Image Size - 19.1 x 20.9 cm (7 1/2" x 8 1/4") Image Size - 20.3 x 20.9 cm (7" x 8 1/4")

click on surimono to see the fomer page


Japanese Woodblock Surimono - Surimono are an exclusive subcategory of Japanese wood block prints. They were privately commissioned works intended to be distributed to a small audience of friends, colleagues or like-minded members of a "poetry circle".The most common surimono style included an image and a poetry verse. Some surimono depict well-known stories from ancient legend and are fantastic individual works of art without any calligraphy. Because of the exclusive nature of surimono, and the fact that they were commissioned by wealthy individuals, the level of workmanship was excellent. The designs are stunning, and usually printed to the highest standards on expensive paper with fine pigments and embellishments. The carvers and printers were leaders in their fields. Since surimono were not sold to a commercial audience the print runs were very small and original surimono are incredibly rare in the market today.

Meiji Surimono Prints - During the early Meiji period the original surimono publishing houses, printed and redistributed some of their most famous surimono designs. Designs by some of the most famous artists like; Hokkei, Gakutei, Toyohiro and others were reprinted to an audience interested in collecting these fantastic works of art. In keeping with the surimono tradition, the Meiji printings were equally exquisite, printed with the finest inks and embellished with embossing, lacquered pigments, and other design features. As most of the original blocks were still in existence, they are mostly printed with the old blocks, sometimes slightly repaired or altered as needed.


Prints of excellent surimonos were often copied or reprinted during the Meiji era (1868 - 1912). The above detailed surimono was reprinted several times (cf. 1890s copy of 1820 design, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). There are existing ones with different patterns on the kite, or with false signature and other alterations.

  • The most striking difference within the above detailed surimono reprint concerns the two tablets at the entrance of the original surimono. All reprints and newcuts do not have this item.
  • Compare to the missing charcters under the left side of the kite in the original surimono.
  • See the missing pattern on the black cloth of the lady's robe and the boy's scarf.


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 Copyright 2008 ff: Hans P. Boehme