Lot 48
  • 48

Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita
  • Portrait de Kikou Yamata
  • Signed Foujita and in Japanese, dated 1926, and inscribed à Paris (lower right), dedicated a ma chère amie Kikouko Yamata / mes admirations pour tout et / amitié de tout coeur (upper left)
  • Pencil and colored pencil on calque
  • 19 1/2 by 10 5/8 in.
  • 49.6 by 27 cm
  • Executed in 1926.

Condition

The media are pencil and colored pencil on fine calque. The work is in good overall condition. The sheet is hinged to the mat backing at 2 points along the top edge, and there are traces of older hinge tape, verso. The sheet edges are very slightly uneven. There are two minor repaired tears: 1cm long horizontal repaired tear in the lower left corner and 5mm horizontal repaired tear at the center of the left edge. There is a repaired tear in the upper left corner, about 2cm horizontal and 1cm vertical. There are several minor tears and nicks along the center of the right edge and one along the lower left edge . All the aforementioned are covered in the current matting. There is a pinhead size loss in the figure's raised hand. There is some very minor mat stain, mostly along the top edge.There are four tiny spots of foxing in the upper right quadrant. The work presents very well.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Kikou Yamata was born in Lyon in 1897 to Japanese diplomat parents and grew up in Tokyo. As an adult she returned to France, where she became a darling of the Parisian literary scene. A well-respected author, she became friends with the leading artistic figures of the era including Jean Cocteau and Paul Valéry. The present work was used as the frontispiece for the 1929 edition of her book Shizouka (Princesse tranquille) published by Editions M-P Trémois, which centers on her favored themes of European and Japanese conceptions of femininity. She was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 1957, and passed away in 1975.