Original shita-e (Japanese: ‘preliminary drawing’) from the workshop of Kōno Bairei, c.1890

Original shita-e (Japanese: preliminary drawing) from the workshop of Kōno Bairei, c.1890
This is a unique, original pen-and-wash shita-e (sketch) for a woodblock print. It comes from the workshop of Kōno Bairei (18441895) and was made either by him personally, or by an apprentice under his tutelage.
In the Japanese woodblock printing process, the preliminary drawing is called a shita-e (), which translates as under-drawing or preparatory picture. This sketch is a foundational design from which the key block and color blocks are created. The shita-e can vary in detail, from a rough sketch to a highly finished drawing. Once the shita-e is complete, it's traced onto thin paper, which is then used to create the key block for the print.
I purchased this original drawing some years ago from a dealer in Japan. It was this purchase that piqued my interest in Kōno Bairei and led me to buy the original prints that were made from the sketches that I bought.
You may read about Kōno Bairei on Wikipedia. His work is represented in leading art museums around the world.
The page measures 28 x 40 cm, including margins. The paper stock is thin and translucent as it was used to trace the outlines onto the woodblocks.
Keywords: Japanese art. East Asian art. Print-making. Oriental culture.

Light soiling. Condition is generally good. Although this work was not produced to be displayed on a wall, it is a valuable relic of the Japanese printing process.