676 - Munakata Shikô (1903-1975)

Munakata Shikô (1903-1975) Japan, dated 1973, Showa period 34 x 28 cm / 60 x 53 cm Two wooden dolls of Kabuki actors. Woodcut, sumizuri-e, with hand-applied colors. At the lower edge of the sheet, inscription in pencil and two seals, one reads: Setsujô: 志功 Munakata 1973.3. (阿波の木偶) … 徳島 (Shiko Munakata (Wooden dolls from Awa) … Tokushima). The sheet comes from a calendar, title Awa no mokugû 阿波の木偶 (Wooden dolls from Awa). From a German private collection, acquired between the 1970s and 1980s, on the reverse, label of Galerie Voigt, Nuremberg - Born in Aomori Prefecture, Shiko Munakata was a woodblock print artist best known for his bold black-and-white prints and expressive, sketch-like lines. A self-taught artist, he began in oil painting before turning to printmaking in 1926, influenced by Sumio Kawakami and briefly studying under Un’ichi Hiratsuka. He became active in the sōsaku hanga movement, exhibiting with Kokugakai (1932-1953) and Nihon Hanga Kyōkai (1932-1938), and from the late 1930s incorporated strong Buddhist themes, supported by Soetsu Yanagi and the folk art (mingei) movement. Relocating to Toyama during the 1945 bombing of Tokyo, Munakata continued his practice and soon gained international recognition, winning first prizes at Lugano (1952), São Paulo (1955), and Venice (1956). In 1959 he spent a year exhibiting in the United States and later received the Buddhist titles of “Hokkyo” (1959) and “Hogan” (1962). Further honors included the Medal of Honor (1963), the Asahi Shimbun Culture Prize (1965), and the Order of Cultural Merit (1970) - Minor wear, framed and glazed