26252 Shiko Munakata, The Shackles of Konin (Kodansha, Vol. 7, No. 141, 1961, Shiko Munakata Appraisal Registration Committee, framed by Satsuki Hyogen)

Height 25.0cm x 50.0cm (including frame)
Width 23.5cm x 48.0cm (including frame)

Munakata Shiko was a Japanese woodblock artist born in Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture in 1903 (Meiji 36). In his final years, he temporarily changed his name to Munakata Shiko. He grew up in a poor family, and while helping out with the family business from a young age, he became drawn to painting. It is said that he was particularly moved by the beauty of arrowhead flowers he saw in a rice paddy, and decided to become a painter.

This work is one of the Munakata beauties, "Kōnin no Saku"

Munakata Shiko created many portraits of beauties with large heads, and all of his works are extremely popular, but "Kōnin no Saku" is particularly popular.

Munakata's prints are colored using the ura-tesai technique, which involves applying color from the back of the Japanese paper, and the coloring varies from print to print. This "Kōnin no Saku" is a work that is uncommonly used for Munakata, with pale colors.