Details

Elizabeth Keith first traveled to Tokyo when she was 28 and remained there for eight years. While in Japan, she produced paintings and watercolors of her travels in Asia. Exhibiting her work to much acclaim, Keith quickly attracted the eye of Watanabe Shozaburo, the Shin Hanga publisher, who hired the artist to produce designs for his woodblock print studio.

Connoisseur's Note

 A Lama priest, garbed in striking color, is sitting in deep contemplation at the center of Keith's striking design. Dressed in his ceremonial finest, the Lama holds Buddhist prayer beads as he chants his daily prayers. Watanabe's printers executed the impression beautifully by capturing depth and volume in his robes, not to mention the various materials used in the garments. Of particular note are his fur-lined cuffs—the exquisite printing effects do a superb job of capturing fur's distinctive texture from all the other components. Although the composition holds a single figure, the impression boasts circular barren patterns that populate the background and foreground and bolster the composition's drama and power.