Tomi, Japanese Geisha Ozashiki – Original early 20th-century gouache painting. An original early 20th-century gouache painting, S. Tomi, Japanese Geisha Ozashiki. A captivating Japanese painting dating from the early decades of the 20th century. The silhouetted style derives from the ancient Japanese woodblock tradition, allowing soft light to glow in this nighttime scene. Traditionally, ozashiki, or Geisha parties, were an everyday affair with dining and drinking, and artful performances from the Geishas. This combination of informality and high art is captured in this atmospheric composition. No biographical information about S. Tomi is readily available, but the occurrence of the artist’s paintings in England suggests that they had connections with Britain, if not worked here. Stylistic elements of the artist’s work also point to a hybrid of Japanese and Western origins. The two-dimensional aesthetic of Japanese woodblock prints, with silhouetted forms used as a popular motif, were often found in European fin-de-siècle etchings, lithographs and woodcuts. Figures were stylised into decorative abstractions by representing them as flat expanses of colour, found in the work of Toulouse-Lautrec for example. One of a set of three that we have for sale (see JY-310 to JY-312). Signed: Signed lower left. Inscribed: Numbered in pencil in Japanese verso, lower right. Height (cm): 29.7 Width (cm): 23.5. Height (inches): 11.69 Width (inches): 9.25. Condition: In very good condition for its age, with just the odd minor mark. Please see photos for detail. All artworks come with a Certificate of Authenticity and-if it is a collection artwork-its accompanying collection text or artist biography. We welcome all enquiries. If you have a question about a specific artwork, it is helpful if you can please quote the’stock number’ listed towards the top of the product description e. JG-347, in order to help identify the work. Our gallery is exclusively online. Please provide the’stock number’ e. JG-347 of the artworks that you are interested in so that we can get them out of storage for you. As all artworks are kept in storage, please note that general browsing is not possible. The Somerset & Wood Guarantee. This extends from the accuracy of our listings and depth of research, to the diligence of our communication, and the care taken with our packing. We believe that these principles are as important for a low priced artwork as an expensive piece; we are committed to offering affordable art with high’added value’ and to keeping our prices as low as possible. Included with your order you will receive. Certificate of Authenticity (COA). By providing a COA with every artwork, backed by our knowledge and expertise, we are vouching that a work is of the stated age and authorship. Accompanying Text for all Collection Works or Listed Artists. A printed copy of the accompanying collection text is provided with all artworks that form part of a larger collection, or for listed artists an artist biography is included. This provides’the story behind the artwork’, which can be kept for future reference and enhances the value of an individual piece. Please note that on the rare occasions that an artwork is not part of a collection and has no known artist biography, no text will be included. We use high quality envelopes, board, card, tubes and boxes, to give the best possible protection in transit. We believe that receiving a beautifully presented parcel in the post is still one of life’s small pleasures, and we take pride in delivering this experience for our customers. We therefore offer complete assurance that you can return the artwork if it does not meet with expectation for any reason. We take care to ensure that our descriptions and images are as accurate as possible. It is important to us that the artwork you receive meets your expectations from viewing it on screen. We produce our digital images through a colour managed workflow and colour-check the images on a calibrated screen. Please note that colours can appear slightly different depending on the calibration of the screen on which they are viewed. If there is a significant variation in colour between our image and the actual artwork we will state this in the listing. Depending on paper type, some degree of ageing is to be expected and is part of the authenticity of the work. We take care to describe the condition of artworks as fully as possible in our descriptions and photographs. We list any significant condition issues, such as losses, tears, foxing, stains and age toning. For more subtle marks, irregularities or variations in tone, please consult the photographs provided as additional indication of condition. The vast majority of our stock is unframed. The framing status of an artwork is clearly stated in the artwork listing. We regret that we are not able to provide a framing or mounting service. We welcome requests to reproduce Somerset & Wood images. All image reproductions must be accompanied by the photographic credit’Image courtesy Somerset & Wood Fine Art Ltd. We ask that you do not copy, reproduce or use text in any way without prior permission. We regret that we are not able to offer valuations. Somerset & Wood was founded in 2015 near Bath, UK in the beautiful Cotswold market town of Bradford on Avon. Today the Gallery is run by founding owners Ayumi Ellingham and Olivia Nicholls. The Somerset & Wood project grew out of a desire to share our interests in art, history and design, and to champion the sometimes underrated field of British drawings and watercolours. We bring to the project combined professional arts backgrounds, in museums & galleries, art dealership and illustration. After completing a first class MA in English at the University of Cambridge and an MSc in History of Art with distinction at the University of Edinburgh, our Art Historian, Olivia Nicholls, worked for many years at the National Galleries of Scotland, and subsequently as an independent editor and art historian. Our focus is affordable original British works on paper of the 19th and early 20th centuries-principally in watercolour, ink and graphite. Although our stock is antique, our gallery is exclusively online and provides an inclusive contemporary shopping experience, eschewing the often intimidating environment of more traditional galleries. Notable artists whose work we have handled include Louis-Philippe Boitard, Paul Sandby RA, Thomas Hearne, William Payne, Joshua Cristall POWS, Richard Westmacott RA, Nicolas-Martin Petit, Joseph Powell PNWS, David Cox OWS, William Turner of Oxford, Henry Barlow Carter, Paul Jacob Naftel RWS, Frank Brangwyn RA RWS RBA, Conrad H. Carelli, Winifred Sandys and Alice Des Clayes ARCA. At the same time, we recognise that value is as much about authentic personal connection as it is about the machinations of the art world. We have equal interest in researching and bringing lesser-known artists into prominence, in serving collectors of items of local historical interest and in reuniting family members with their ancestors’ lost work. We present our large volume of stock in carefully curated collections, which help provide context and tell the’story behind the picture’. We believe in offering in-depth research and explanatory information, regardless of price. Somerset & Wood is, as a result, more than just an online shop; we are part gallery, part archive, part research project. Come in for a browse and see for yourself. We hope you will come away with a piece of history, a piece of a story, something that feasts your eyes, pulls at your heartstrings or ignites your imagination. Our Customers & Clients. We are delighted that our pictures resonate with art-lovers worldwide. We welcome a diverse international client base, ranging from public collections, established collectors and dealers to novice art-buyers or those simply searching for something to look good on their wall. We sell regularly to countries big and small across the globe-from the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India, China and Japan, to Luxembourg, Iceland, Finland, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Somerset & Wood also sells to museums and galleries throughout the UK. Our clients have included: The British Library; Historic England Archive; W. Spooner Charitable Trust in association with The Wordsworth Trust; Victoria Art Gallery Bath; Leicestershire County Council Museums; Alnwick Castle, Northumberland; Rozelle House and Maclaurin Galleries, Ayrshire. Somerset & Wood Images. Recently our images have been reproduced in the following publications. National Portrait Gallery’Rowney guide’ (updated online, 2019). Huw Lewis-Jones,’Sea Journal’, (Thames & Hudson, London 2019). Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,’A Return to the Grand Tour, Microcosmic Jewels from the Collection of Elizabeth Locke’ (Richmond VA, 2019). Orders are dispatched Monday to Friday, excluding local and national holidays. All items are packed carefully and securely in high quality packaging. In our experience, it is extremely rare that items are lost in post but sometimes there are delays in the postal service which are beyond our control. We thank you for your patience and understanding. Please note that orders packed on Friday will arrive on Tuesday. Please note that due to courier service suspensions to Russia at this time there are size restrictions in place on what we can send to Russia. We may not be able to fulfil your order if, when packed, the combined height x width x depth dimensions of your parcel exceed 90cm. To return an item. Please start a Return request within 30 days of receipt of goods. Please return the item in its original packaging (or close equivalent) to ensure safe transit. We cannot be responsible for damage sustained during return transit.