Series of 32 finely hand-coloured Japanese Woodblock prints from Keinen’s Album ‘Keinen Kacho Gafu’.

Kyoto: : possibly published by Nishimura Sozeomon or Soemon of Kyoto, c. 1891 . In very good condition; plates are clean and crisp.. Edition: First Edition, Binding: Bound in contemporary blue thick paper covers., Notes: Imao Keinen (1845 - 1923) was born in Kyoto and studied various traditional Japanese art styles, including 'ukiyo e', meaning 'floating world', classical Japanese painting, calligraphy and printmaking. The upheaval of the transitional phase between the Edo and Meiji periods around 1868 resulted in bankruptcy of the family business forcing him to make a living as textile designer. Keinen founded his own studio and established himself as a painter and printmaker; later serving as professor at the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting in the 1880’s. In 1904, he was appointed member of the Imperial Household’s Art Committee, and in 1919, of the Imperial Art Academy. Keinen specialized in and taught kacho ga; he is known for his four-part or volume album on birds and flowers known as the ‘Keinen Kacho Gafu’, published in Kyoto between 1891 and 1892, the parts named after the four seasons.

Known little in the West, the work demonstrates the height of the Shin Hanga movement. The prints are made from woodblocks in manifold colour. The present set is part of the album in hand-colour.

, Size: folio (368x248mm), Illustration: The hand-painted album includes 32 woodblock plates depicting of birds in their natural seasonal settings and habitats, surrounded by flowers and often blossoms, such as depictions of a Parakeet on flowering branch; Siberian Ruby Throat on peach blossoms; Calliope Calliope also known as Luscinia Calliope; black bird on Wisteria twig; bird on a rose branch with bamboo; Brambling; Starlings, Day Lily; Morning Sparrows and young Peony; Chestnut Bunting; cranes on pine; flock of sparrows on a rose bush; Golden Pheasant; Long Tail Tit on Forsythia; Noble Orchid and Swallow; Canary; Eurasian Skylark; plum blossom and white-bellied green pigeon; Rufous-Tailed Robin; Rooster and Hen; Rustic Bunting most or all from the Spring Album. Signed woodblock prints, References: Faith; not Freer, BMC, Mansell, Category: Book Asia Far East; Book Natural History; Book Plate Books Colour;