collection of colorful, humorous, abstract images and designs secured with metal brad at top; comes in hard cover folio with Japanese title and anthropomorphized kanji character in red circle; English information on back

Humorous Designs, April 1903

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This collection of 46 designs was assembled by Kamisaka Sekka in the year after he returned to Japan from studying contemporary European approaches to arts and crafts. These designs reveal European influences and show his ability to play with images from several cultures. In contrast to his other design collections, the themes here are diverse. They consist of motifs derived from traditional Asian art, such as zodiac animals, and themes of Western origin, like Art Deco vases. In his introduction to the compilation, Sekka refers to his work as more “jokes” than art, and points out that he has created them lightheartedly.

Details
Title
Humorous Designs
Artist Life
1866 - 1942
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.29.66
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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collection of colorful, humorous, abstract images and designs secured with metal brad at top; comes in hard cover folio with Japanese title and anthropomorphized kanji character in red circle; English information on back