Rare First Edition Woodblock Print Le Tabouret de Porcelaine Paul Jacoulet

A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Le Tabouret de Porcelaine, Mandchoukuo (The Porcelain Garden Seat, Manchuria). Created in 1936, this is a rare first edition carved by Maeda and printed by Honda and numbered 39/150 verso. As the first print of the Manchurian and Mongolian subjects, Jacoulet spared no cost in the fine materials and painstaking techniques. The lemon-yellow background contrasts sharply with the lady's purple robe and black embroidered trousers. Silver mica powders were sprinkled on the background, subtly shimmering under the light. The porcelain garden seat was elaborately decorated with a Shishi lion and an embossed flame detail. Bronze powder was used to outline the folds of the robe and crushed jade powder were used to highlight the interior of the robe. The composition of the lady is unconventional albert realistic. Her facial expression is ambiguous and open to debate.
This print was marked in plate by Jacoulet's signature and the red Good Luck Hammer Seal. On the right lower margin, is the printer Honda's seal. Bottom right margin is the printed title. Marked 39/150 verso. Watermark of Jacoulet in the paper margin visible. The notch cut in the corner of the paper represents a registration cut for aligning the paper during printing.
The image size is 11.75" x 15.5".
Provenance: The Collection of Lucille Arnold Blanch, friend of Paul Jacoulet, and thence by descendants.
It should be noted that Jacoulet did not pulled the prints in the order of his edition number due to his complicated and eccentric numbering system.
Reference: No 38 "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.