Koitsu, Tsuchiya (1870 - 1949), "Lake Yamanaka (Variant State)"

Notes: Publisher seal: Baba Nobuhiko. Artist seal right margin, with title and date. Not to be confused with the other color variation shown in the Koitsu Raisonne; this impression displays fresh colors throughout. - Koitsu Catalogue Raisonne; pg. 19.

Three different strikes of Lake Yamanaka exist. The first print (this example) carries the standard Koitsu seal and signature. The second print is the same print but carries both the Koitsu seal and signature, plus a Katsutaro seal. This strike also carries both a Baba publisher seal on the front, as well as a Tokyo Hanga-In seal on the verso. The third and final variant is yet another variation strike that carries only the Katsutaro seal.

Baba Nobuhiko was a minor publisher who was active from the 1930's through 1950's. They produced high quality shin-hanga prints with especially fine carving and printing techniques. Tsuchiya Koitsu was the principal artist and also most notable to work with Baba Nobuhiko. The majority of resources, including woodblocks for creating Koitsu's prints were destroyed due to the uncontrollable fires that raged throughout sections of Tokyo in March of 1945. Due to this devastation, the publisher had to give up his entire business enterprise for a number of years, making these designs more difficult to locate then prints created by larger publishing companies like Doi Hangaten. Only about a dozen Koitsu prints are known to be published by Baba Nobuhiko.