"I remember my father [Sekino Jun’ichirō] spending quite a bit of time on Mamehon productions in the 1950s, often mingling with Takei Takeo and Kawakami Sumio (aka Kawakami Chosei), et al, but he kept his Mamehon collection (comprising tens of them) in several miniature wooden 'Mamehon cabinets.' For some reason, I wasn't enticed to open the attractive cabinets to inspect what were in them, so I have very little memory about his Mamehon. I recalled from your web page, however, that he had sets of wood engraving tools (that were very different from his Japanese woodcutting tools) and smaller and more polished pieces of wood for engraving. I believe he applied wood engraving mainly for Mamehon covers and illustrations.
The model for the girl that appears on the covers of Mamehon 7 and Mamehon 10 is undoubtedly my sister who was only 8 at the time. Interestingly, her appearance became more like the cover picture when she became a little older."
[1] email received May 24, 2022
click on an image to enlarge
Note: transcriptions and their translations below are subject to my error.
page 1
豆本はんじょう・ 九州まめほん第十号記念特集
目次
Mamehon Prosperity・Kyūshū Mamehon 10 Anniversary Special Edition
Table of Contents
索人こけし観 斉藤昌三
[article]: [? kokeshi ?] by Saitō Shōzō
張扇ぐでん流 水曜荘主人
"Hariōgi guden-ryū" by Suiyōsō Shujin (the pen name of Sakai Tokuo)
続猪蔭莊漫録 志茂太郎
[article]: [title unread] by Shimo Tarō
堀リ出さざるの記 宮田豊
[article]: [title unread] by Miyata Yutaka
pages 2 and 3
page 2 (table of contents, continued)
変な本 鬼塚和之
[article]: "Strange Books" by 鬼塚和之 [author's name unread]
水曜莊本異 森下功 [article]: [unread title] by Morishita Isao
《十二支絵本》姶末
佐藤實
"Jūnishi ehon" ? by Satō Minoru (さとう実 )
あとがき
Afterword
限定版だよリ
Limited editions
新会員紹介 (10)
new members
page 3
表紙 木口版画 関野準一郎
cover: wood engraving by Sekino Jun'ichiro
扉版画:初山滋
Title page: woodblock print by Hatsuyama Shigeru
カシ卜郷玩 愛媛県 [牛鬼]
酒井秀夫
Folk toy, Ehime Prefecture [Ushioni*] by Sakai Hideo
*Ox Demon - a variety of yokai.
pages 8 and 9
page 8
索人こけし観 斉藤昌三
[article]: [? kokeshi ?] by Saitō Shōzō (1887-1961)
page 9
張扇ぐでん流 水曜荘主人
ものを書くとりうことは. 高座で張扇を叩りてりるような半面が...
[article]: "Hariōgi guden-ryū" by Suiyōsō Shujin (the pen name of Sakai Tokuo)
[tipped to the page is the hand-colored print of a ushioni by Sakai Hideo, brother of Sakai Tokuo
print size: 2 3/16 x 1 7/16 in. (5.6 x 3.7 cm]
undated photo of artist
Hatsuyama Shigeru 初山滋 (1897-1973)
Primarily known as an illustrator of children's books, Hatsuyama was also a successful sosaku hanga artist. As a young teenager he apprenticed at a fabric dyeing shop, which he did not enjoy. Introduced to the illustrator and woodblock print artist Igawa Sengai (1876-1961) he became one of Sengai's student employees. He would be hired as an illustrator for a children's magazine, which would become his specialty.
For more information on this artist see Hatsuyama Shigeru 初山滋 (1897-1973)
Younger brother of bookmaker, hobbyist and author Sakai Tokuo 酒井徳男 (1897-1973), pen name Suiyōsō Shujin 水曜荘主人, who specialized in tesaishiki hanga (hand colored prints). Best known for his hand colored prints of folk toys.
undated photo of artist
Sekino Juni'chirō is one of the major post-WWII figures in the sosaku hanga (creative print) movement. He was born in Yasukata-cho, Amori Prefecture in northern Japan in 1914, the first son of Junzō Sekino who owned a wholesale fertilizer store. From an early age Sekino displayed an artistic bent and a fascination with Japanese woodblock.
While largely a self-taught artist, having closely studied available material on woodblock carving and printing while still young, he did study etching at Nishida Takeo’s Japanese Etching Institute and oil painting and drawing at a private painting school. In addition, starting in 1931, he studied intaglio printmaking and lithography with printmaker Kon Junzō (1893-1944), who considered Sekino "an artistic genius."
In 1981 he was awarded the Purple Medal Ribbon by the Japanese Government. The following year, he had a solo exhibition at Central Museum Tokyo and in 1987 he was award the 4th class medal by the Japanese government.
For more information on this artist see Sekino Juni'chirō 関野準一郎 (1914-1988).