06/09/2026
Shiro Kasamatsu - Wisteria Bridge, Watanabe New Year’s Card 1936
An exceptionally charming and historically interesting miniature design by Kasamatsu Shirō, Wisteria Bridge was issued in 1936 as a New Year’s greeting card by the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō. Tied with its original red decorative cord and retaining the printed interior greeting, this piece survives not merely as a small-format print, but as a remarkably intact example of prewar shin hanga presentation culture.
The delicate composition depicts an arched bridge draped in cascading wisteria blossoms, their pale lavender forms hanging over still water below while small figures cross overhead. Lanterns glow softly in the middle distance, and the entire image is rendered with the lightness and restraint characteristic of Kasamatsu’s smaller works from the 1930s. Though modest in scale, the design possesses exceptional elegance - balancing decorative rhythm, architectural structure, and atmospheric quiet with remarkable economy.
What makes this piece especially appealing is its intimacy. Unlike Kasamatsu’s larger published landscape prints, these New Year’s greeting cards were ephemeral objects - seasonal works intended to convey refinement, taste, and goodwill among collectors and patrons. Because many were discarded or separated from their original presentation format, surviving examples that retain the original cord binding, interior greeting sheet, and complete presentation structure are increasingly desirable to collectors today.
The interior printed greeting reads:
“With Best Wishes for A Happy New Year from S. Watanabe (Colour Print Shop), Ginza, Tokyo - 1936”
This directly links the work to Watanabe’s celebrated Ginza workshop during the mature prewar shin hanga period, adding meaningful historical context beyond the image itself.
The Woodblock Print
The print itself measures 3.5"x5.5" and is in fine condition; there is a crease in the right corner, light toning, and is tipped to the folding card. The card itself is in very fine condition retaining the original cord in good condition, light overall toning to the paper, but otherwise clean and intact.
About the Artist
An exceptionally charming and historically interesting miniature design by Kasamatsu Shirō, Wisteria Bridge was issued in 1936 as a New Year’s greeting card by the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō. Tied with its original red decorative cord and retaining the printed interior greeting, this piece su...
