Gallery 3A: Takahashi Shōtei
Fire. 5.0 x 7.3 cm
Takahashi Shōtei (1871-1945) was a major artist of the Shin-Hanga movement. In 1907, the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, a major influence in the origin of the movement, hired Shōtei as his first artist. Shotei started using the artist name Hiroaki in 1921 but continued to use the Shōtei seal into the 1930s. Additional prints published by Watanabe under the name Rakutei are considered to be by the same artist as are works sealed Kakei. In addition to working with Watanabe, he produced approximately 180 small format prints for the publisher Shōbidō Tanaka; these include the Hiroaki seal.
Extensive information and an online catalogue of his prints can be accessed at Shotei.com which is the primary source for the seals and publishers for Shōtei prints in the collection. Titles on this page reflect those from Shotei.com which are derived primarily from catalogue descriptions (smaller prints are rarely printed with titles) or have been assigned based on image content.
Prints with Hiroaki Seals
The first set of prints are some of the smallest in the collection. They all have the Hiroaki Seal and were published in the 1930s by Shōbidō Tanaka unless otherwise noted. None have formal titles.
Soba Peddler. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Palanquin. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Full Moon. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Cart. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Full Moon. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Evening Street. 7.2 x 4.9 cm
Storm. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Beauty. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Back to the Home. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Cowboy. 1930s. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Rainy Day. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Rainy Weather. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Fine Weather. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Bonfire. 7.2 x 4.9 cm
Fine Weather. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Spring Comes Nearby. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Sailing Back. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Departure. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Harbor. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
An Alien Vessel. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Sail Before the Wind. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Full Moon and Vessels. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
A Distant View of Mt. Tukuba. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Camellia. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Village Shrine. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Wild Goose. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Mt. Fuji. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Chrysanthemum. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Crow and Persimmon. 7.3 x 5.0 cm
Plum Tree and Japanese Bush Warbler. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Snow-Herons. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Cranes on the Beach. 7.3 x 5.0 cm Note: Ink smudge below rock on left of image.
Hillside Temple. 1930s. 7.3 x 5.1 cm
Mandarin Ducks. 4.9 x 7.2 cm
Snow-heron in the Rain. 7.2 x 5.0 cm
Mt. Fuji in the Morning Mist. 5.0 x 7.3 cm
4.9 x 7.2 cm
Cloth Stretching. 5.0 x 7.3 cm
Bonsai. 5.0 x 7.3 cm
Ship under the Crescent Moon. 4.9 x 7.2 cm
Castle in the Setting Sun. 4.9 x 7.2 cm
Evening glow on pagoda in deep wood. Shôtei Seal. Before 1923. 6.3 x 9.4 cm
"Hatsuuma" The First Fete-Day of Inari (The God of Harvest). 9.0 x 12.6 cm
Hutara Shrine in Nikko. 1930s. 9.8 x 14.3 cm
Evening Glow on Pagoda in Deep Wood. Rakutei Seal. After 1923. 6.0 x 9.5 cm
Nigatsu-dō in Nara. 9.7 x 14.2 cm
Moon Under the Bridge. 1930s. 9.6 x 14.5 cm
Sailing Back. Hiroaki seal. 9.0 x 13.8 cm
Snowy Dawn. 1930s. 9.6 x 14.3 cm
Ferry in the Snow. 1930s. 9.7 x 14.4 cm
Sailing-back. 1930s. 9.6 x 14.4 cm
Inuyama Castle. 1930s. 9.5 x 14.3 cm
A Large Catch. 1930s. 9.7 x 14.5 cm
Nan-endo Temple in Nara. 1930s. 9.7 x 14.3 cm
Saruhashi Bridge in Kosyu. 1930s. 9.7 x 14.2 cm
Ryogoku. 1930s. 9.6 x 14.4 cm
Kanagawa. 1930s. 9.6 x 14.4 cm
Mt. Fuji as seen from Yamanaka Lake. 1930s. 14.3 x 9.7 cm
Miho. 1930s. 9.1 x 13.9 cm
View of Kinugawa. 1930s. 14.4 x 9.8 cm
View of Senjogohara. 14.2 x 6.7 cm
Okitsu Shrine. 14.2 x 9.6 cm
View of Jukkengawa. 1930s. 14.3 x 9.8 cm
Prints Published by Watanabe
The following prints were published by Watanabe in the 1930s and 1940s. Titles and numbers refer to their listings in the 1936 Watanabe Catalogue. They bear the Shōtei seal unless otherwise indicated. Many of the prints here and above were intended as attachments for greeting cards. An example is demonstrated below.
Plum Tree and Paddy Bird. Affixed to a 1929 Season’s Greeting Card.
Moon over a Country House. Hiroaki seal. No. 14. 1930s. 6.9 x 7.4 cm
Vermicelli Peddler Under Moonlight. Hiroaki seal. No. 11. 7.0 x 6.2 cm
Vermicelli Pedler Under Moonlight. Second Copy. No. 11. 7.0 x 6.3 cm
Swallows and Willow-Tree in Rain. Hiroaki Seal. No. 12. 7.0 x 6.4 cm
Plum-Tree by a Well in Snow. Hiroaki Seal. No. 13. 7.0 x 6.4 cm
Kanegafuchi in Snow; River Sumida. No seal. No. 374. 7.3 x 4.9 cm
Kanegafuchi in Snow; River Sumida. No seal. No. 374. Second copy. 7.3 x 4.9 cm
Plum Tree and Paddy-Bird, 4.9 x 7.2 cm (second copy)
Starry night in Miyajima. No. 361. 5.1 x 7.4 cm
Pagoda in snow and a pack-horse. No. 25. 5.0 x 7.3 cm
Ferry Boat in Snow. No 382. 6.0 x 9.4 cm
Woman in snow by the river. No 383. 6.1 x 9.3 cm
Packhorse in Snow. Pre-1923. 6.1 x 9.3 cm
Woman with lantern on a windy night. No. 381. 6.0 x 9.4 cm
Country House after Snow. Rakutei Seal. No. 45. 6.0 x 9.5 cm
Evening Glow of Mount Fuji. No. 406. 5.9 x 9.1 cm
Red Leaves at Monkey Bridge. No. 41. 6.0x 9.5 cm
Red Leaves at Monkey Bridge. Second copy. No. 41. 6.1 x 9.6 cm
Moonrise at mountain village. Rakutei Seal. No. 44. 6.0 x 9.6 cm
Fireworks at Ryogoku, River Sumida. 5.9 x 9.1 cm
Another copy is affixed to a Watanabe envelope for a woodblock print set.
Chrysanthemums in Red Vase. 6.3 x 9.2 cm
Fire Tower in Snow. No. 775. 6.1 x 9.5 cm
Sacred Bridge in Rain, Nikko. 9.1 x 6.2 cm
Shrine in the Woods; Blue Sky. See additional postcard print with same image in postcard prints section below. 14.5 x 9.2 cm
Moon under a Bridge at Hakozaki. No. 161. (Catalogue attributes to Shotei but seal reads Rakutei) 17.7 x 11.5 cm
Another copy of Moon under a Bridge at Hakozaki. No. 161. (Catalogue attributes to Shotei but seal reads Rakutei). 17.6 x 11.5 cm
Starry Night at Ohashi Bridge. No 402. 6.4 x 9.3 cm
Moonlight at Ohashi bridge. Enclosed in a 1920 greeting card. Similar to No. 547. 6.0 x 13.1 cm
Moonlight at Ohashi Bridge. No. 54. 6.0 x 9.3 cm
Rain in Village. 9.1 x 13.5 cm
Fete night; Street Stalls; Strollers. No 792. 6.3 x 13.3 cm
Two Ladies Catching the Fireflies.
1930s. 8.3 x 13.0 cm
Nightingale and Snowladen Plum-Tree. No. 125. 1930s. 14.6 x 9.4 cm
Snowy Harbor. 8.5 x 13.3 cm
Moon on Seashore; a Fishing Boat in Front. 1920s-1930s. 14.5 x 9.3 cm
Street at Night; Woman Near Bridge. Rakutei seal. Creped. No. 152. 11.6 x 9.7 cm
Sailing Boat in the Rain. 8.5 x 13.4 cm
Homeward bound boats; blue and golden sky. No. 121. 14.5 x 9.3 cm
Kinugasa Temple. 11.6 x 18.0 cm
Shrine by the River. No 124. 8.5 x 13.4 cm
Shrine by the River. No. 124. Copy printed on sIlk. 8.5 x 13.6 cm
Waterfall in Moonlight. Pre-earthquake. 8.5 x 13.4 cm
Mishima. 1923 or earlier (Pre-earthquake). 10.8 x 16.6 cm
River Sumida in snow; house-boat. No. 168. 11.6 x 17.7 cm
Totsuka. Before 1923 (Blocks destroyed in Earthquake; This is the only documented example). 10.8 x 16.2
Morning Fog. 1920s. 11.7 x 17.7 cm
Night Snow at Ikegami. No. 165. 10.8 x 16.8 cm
Fuji from a resting-booth. No. 163. 11.7 x 17.8 cm
Country House at Negishi. No. 473. 11.6 x 17.7 cm
Evening After a Long Journey. Rakutei seal. 11.6 x 17.9 cm
Bon Festival Dance. <1923 (blocks destroyed in earthquake).11.4 x 16.4 cm
Toro-no-ichi Fair. <1923 (blocks destroyed in earthquake). 11.2 x 16.5 cm
Cherry Blossom Viewing. <1923 (blocks destroyed in earthquake). 11.3 x 16.3 cm
Singers of Popular Songs. 1930s. 11.9 x 17.7 cm
Snow Birds. Hiroaki Seal. c. 1920. 11.7 x 17.6 cm
Autumn Moon at Tama River. 11.1 x 17.7 cm
Tsutsumikata at Night. Shotei Seal. c. 1930s. 11.1 x 16.0 cm
A Boat with Cool Breeze Hunters on. No. 178. 11.8 x 12.7 cm
Iwabuchi. Before 1923. Another documented earlier printing includes a halo around the moon and additional details in the lower mountains. 10.7 x 16.7 cm
Moonlight at Hiratsuka. Pre-earthquake version. Between 1909 - 1923. 10.4 x 16.6 cm
Moonlight at Hiratsuka. Post-earthquake version from recarved blocks. (Watanabe Catalogue no. 129). Pre-1936. 8.3 x 13.1 cm
Drawing up sea water under moonlight. No 162. 17.7 x 11.6 cm
Four Crows on a Cold Night. No. 173. 1930s. 17.8 x 11.8 cm
Flower Seller on a Rainy Day. Creped print. Hiroaki Seal. 13.3 x 18.6 cm
Postcard Prints
Several identical designs by Shotei can be found either as separate prints or affixed to postcards. However, Shotei also designed images that only appear as postcards.
Red Temple in Rain; a Priest over the steps. Published by Nipponmokuhan, Tokyo. This image is also No. 123 in the Watanabe 1936 catalogue. 1930s. 13.6 x 8.2 cm
Red Temple in Rain; a Priest over the steps. Second copy. Published by Nipponmokuhan, Tokyo. This image is also No. 123 in the Watanabe 1936 catalogue. 1918-1933 back. 13.6 x 8.2 cm
Shrine in the Woods. Shotei seal. No. 124 in Watanabe 1936 Catalogue. 13.3 x 8.4 cm
Homeward bound boats; blue and golden sky. 1930s. Shotei seal. Design is No. 121 in Watanabe 1936 Catalogue. 13.3 x 8.5 cm (See comparison to unsealed image from Japanese Government Railways). (See image without clouds or postcard back).
Lake Towada , one of the most beautiful mountain Lakes of Japan. From Eight Views of Japan. Published by the Japanese Government Railway. 14.0 x 9.2 cm.
Unzen Peak from Eight Views of Japan. Published for the Japanese Government Railway. 14.0 x 9.2 cm
Kamikochi Valley, a Romantic Valley in the Mountain Region of Japan. From Eight Views of Japan. Published by the Japanese Government Railway. 9.1 x 14.0 cm
Tokachi Plain, in Hokkaido, as seen from the Karikachi Pass. From Eight Views of Japan. Published by the Japanese Government Railway. 14.0 x 9.1 cm
River Kiso near Nagoya. “The Rhine of Japan.” Published by the Japanese Government Railway. 14.1 x 9.2 cm
Kegon Falls, near Nikko, the oulet of Lake Chūzenji . From Eight Views of Japan. 14.1 x 9.0 cm
Beppu, in Kyushu, a Noted Hot Spring Town. From Eight Views of Japan. 14.1 x 9.2 cm
Prints by Mokuhankan
Bush Warbler. A recently published print based on a smaller matchbox sized print by Shotei that was originally published by Shobido Tanaka in the 1930s. Carved by David Bull. Printed by Yoko Ishikawa. 14.1 x 9.9 cm
Prints Based on Shotei Images
Due to the popularity of Shotei’s artwork, other publishers reproduced several of his images. Some of these are miniaturizations of larger prints, occasionally with design modifications that might even include adding iconic elements that were thought to increase their marketability to tourists. A good discussion of variants and plagiarized images can be found at Shotei.com and accessed here.
Based on the chuban print Night scene of Mabashi, near Tokyo. c.1950-1960s. 8.6 x 13.6 cm
The image to the left is based on Shotei’s chuban sized print Night Scene of Mabashi, near Tokyo. Comparison of this print to the original reveals several modifications to fit the image to the postcard sized format. The original print was published by Watanabe. This smaller image was also produced by Watanabe but does not include an artist seal or signature. This print was included in a packet of prints attached to blank cards that were provided to guests attending tours offered by the Pigeon Bus Company.
Adaptation of Snow at a Shinto Shrine. 9.1 x 13.9 cm
The image to the left is an adaptation of Takahashi Shotei’s print Snow at a Shinto Shrine, M-85 at Shotei.com. It represents a cropped image of the original mitsugiri-ban sized print that was published by Shobido Tanaka. This version is unsealed and unsigned. It was included in a set of woodblock prints affixed to blank cards that were said to date from the 1920s, although this dating is questionable. The additional accompanying prints included unsigned miniaturizations by other artists including Asano Takeji.
Reproduction and Miniaturization of Snow by the River. 5.1 x 7.3 cm
The image to the left is similar to C-53 at Shotei.com, a chuban sized print with a Kakei seal. Although this miniature print is relatively true to the original design, it’s seal is not a recognized Shotei, Hiroaki, Kakei, or Rakutei seal. Therefore the print appears to be plagiarized version.
Plagiarized Shotei print. 7.5 x 12.6 cm
This image and the two that follow are three plagiarized Shotei images that are pasted onto a miniature screen with a small 1939 calendar affixed to the back. The image to the left is similar to Sailing Boat in the Rain (S-59 at Shotei.com) except that the rain has cleared and a moon has been substituted for the cloudy sky.
The composition is similar to a S-63 at Shotei.com but includes additional detail.
7.5 x 12.6 cm
This image is similar to Shrine by River in the collection (S-14 at Shotei.com). In this case an iris garden has been added to the foreground.
Reproduction and Miniaturization of Nihonmatsu. 5.3 x 12.2 cm
The print to the left is a reproduction and miniaturization of the prints M-107 and M-144 at Shotei..com. The pre-earthquake version is sealed Kakei. The post-earthquake print has the Shotei seal. This miniature version is an obvious fake and is signed Hiroshige, a move likely designed to increase sales.
Snow at Ozawa. 4.0 x 11.0 cm
Unsigned variation on Snow at Ozawa; Torii Gate and a Cottage (C-27 at Shotei.com). This miniature woodblock was attached to a blank card of unclear date.