This plate comes from Kawasaki Kyosen's Collected Illustrations of Japanese Toys (Kyosen Omocha-shu), an album in which the Osaka artist Kawasaki Kyosen (1877-1942) recorded the folk toys and festival objects of his day. The sheet pairs two toy masks: a pale, round-cheeked Otafuku, the good-humoured woman of folk belief, set above the green face of a snarling demon. Together they hold the two moods of Japanese festival masks, the genial and the fearsome, in a single frame.
Kyosen worked in the omocha-e tradition, the picture of toys, drawing each object from life and printing it by woodblock. The line is quiet and exact, the colour laid in flat washes, and the masks float on bare paper with no background to distract from their shapes. A small red seal sits at the lower corner, the only mark of the hand behind the sheet.
On a wall the print carries a light, slightly theatrical character. The two faces read clearly from across a room and reward a closer look, and th . . . Read More >>
This plate comes from Kawasaki Kyosen's Collected Illustrations of Japanese Toys (Kyosen Omocha-shu), an album in which the Osaka artist Kawasaki Kyosen (1877-1942) recorded the folk toys and festival objects of his day. The sheet pairs two toy masks: a pale, round-cheeked Otafuku, the good-humoured woman of folk belief, set above the green face of a snarling demon. Together they hold the two moods of Japanese festival masks, the genial and the fearsome, in a single frame.
Kyosen worked in the omocha-e tradition, the picture of toys, drawing each object from life and printing it by woodblock. The line is quiet and exact, the colour laid in flat washes, and the masks float on bare paper with no background to distract from their shapes. A small red seal sits at the lower corner, the only mark of the hand behind the sheet.
On a wall the print carries a light, slightly theatrical character. The two faces read clearly from across a room and reward a closer look, and the open ground keeps the image calm rather than busy. It suits a hallway, a study, or a child's room, and sits easily beside pale wood and other restrained prints.
Available as fine-art paper with a soft matte surface, as a framed edition behind shatter-resistant acrylic, or as satin-coated cotton canvas for a warmer, textile feel.
Frequently asked questions
What does this print show?
Two Japanese folk-toy masks drawn from life: a smiling round-faced Otafuku above and a fierce green demon mask below.
Where does the image come from?
From Kawasaki Kyosen's Collected Illustrations of Japanese Toys, an album of omocha-e recording the traditional toys and festival objects of early twentieth-century Japan.
What is omocha-e?
Omocha-e means “picture of toys.” Kyosen drew folk toys and talismans from life and had them printed by woodblock, preserving objects that were otherwise made to be used and discarded.
Where does it suit best?
In a hallway, a study, or a child's room, where its two clear faces add a light, playful note without crowding the wall.
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Japan historical period: Taisho 大正 (1912-1925)
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