Framed Woodblock Print Les Perles by Paul Jacoulet

A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled "Les Perles Mandchoukuo" (The Pearls, Manchuria). Published in 1950, this fine print is considered the most technically complex piece among all Jacoulet's work. Over 300 individual impressions of nearly 60 double-sided carved woodblocks were used to create this image. It depicts a Chinese lady in full traditional Qing Dynasty clothing holding a nearly transparent silk scarf with a plethora of pearls displayed on her hair and fingernail guards. Highlighted in exquisite silver metallic mica on the pearls and scrolling threads, the image took a dimensional liveness that pushed the limit of what woodblock print can achieve. Dedicated to Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, it is part of the Dedication set.
The print is signed "Paul Jacoulet" above red peach stamp mark, with title "LES PERLES / Mandchoukuo" in the right lower margin and carver and publisher's seal on the right (Carver Maeda; Printer Onodera). It is housed under glass in a contemporary frame. The image size is 16 3/4" x 12 3/4" sight.
Reference: No 113 "The Prints of Paul Jacoulet: A Complete Illustrated Catalog by Richard Miles.

An eccentric artist of his time, Paul Jacoulet was born in France but lived most his life in Japan. He is considered as one of the few western artists who have mastered the art of woodblock printing sufficiently to be recognized in Japan. Largely rooted in traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques and ukiyo-e style, the artist developed a unique and recognizable style infused with his own aesthetic vision and technical approaches that set himself apart from Japanese artists. Nearly all portraits, Jacoulet depicted a wide range of people he encountered in his extensive travelling in the Far East as well as South Pacific. Often in their traditional outfits and surrounded by endogenous flora and props, his models often convey a more western sense of pose, with some directly confronting the viewers. Jacoulet occupies a special place in the world of ukiyo-e, the artist formed a bridge between the East and West.