China / Japan: 'Dancers at the New Carlton Hotel, Shanghai', shin hanga woodblock print, Yamamura Koka (1885-1942), 1924

Yamamura Koka, who also used the art name Yamamura Toyonari, studied with Ogata Gekko (1859-1920) and graduated from the Tokyo Art School in 1907.

He began designing actor prints at least as early as 1915 — signing with both art names — by contributing to the short-lived magazine 'Shin Nigao' ('New Portraits'). However, it was his collaboration with the publisher Shozaburo Watanabe in the following year that provided Koka with a means to establish an impressive body of work in the actor print genre.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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Pictures From History