“Meiko Kaji” (梶芽衣子) Gallery ELLE original issue Japanese promotional portrait poster, 1974 — (approx. 87 × 62 cm)

“Meiko Kaji” (梶芽衣子)
Original issue Gallery ELLE large-format promotional portrait poster, 1974 (©1974 credit printed) — unrestored, excellent / close-to-near-mint condition

Ultra-rare, high-impact Japanese Gallery ELLE portrait poster featuring 梶芽衣子 (Meiko Kaji) at the height of her 1970s “cool icon” era—long raven hair, direct gaze, and understated, androgynous styling captured as pure graphic fashion portraiture (rather than a standard theatrical one-sheet tied to a specific film).

The lower margin carries key collector identifiers including the “©1974 gallery ELLE, Limited” imprint and the catalogue number “E-69” alongside her name 「梶芽衣子」—all visible in the close-up photos.

Details

• Subject: 梶芽衣子 (Meiko Kaji)

• Series / Publisher imprint: Gallery ELLE (printed “gallery ELLE, Limited”)

• Print date: 1974 (printed as “©1974”)

• Catalogue number: E-69 (printed)

• Country: Japan

• Format: Large-format decorative / portrait “art” poster (Gallery ELLE series; not a standard studio-distributed theatrical poster format)

• Approx. size: 36.0 × 24.4 in (approx. 87 × 62.0 cm)

  • Size context: JIS B2 = 515 × 728 mm, B1 = 728 × 1030 mm—this Gallery ELLE format sits between B2 and B1, making it unusually large for a Japanese character/portrait poster.

• Paper / stock: Thick, textured art stock (the surface texture is visible in the close-ups; Gallery ELLE posters are often described by dealers as “絹目厚口のアート紙” / thick, silk-textured art paper).

• Condition: Excellent / close to near mint. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

Context
What is Gallery ELLE?
Gallery ELLE is an imprint seen on a distinctive class of large-format, high-quality decorative posters circulating in Japan from the 1970s onward—often carrying an “E-” catalogue number and the “gallery ELLE Limited” credit line at the bottom margin (a consistent tell for collectors).

ELLE / magazine-era connection (historical context):
The “ELLE” name was already firmly embedded in Japanese fashion-publishing culture from 1970, when an・an launched as “an・an ELLE JAPON,” created in partnership with the French magazine ELLE (a widely documented milestone in Japan’s modern fashion magazine history).
Collector note: while Gallery ELLE posters are separate objects from magazines, the ELLE-branded aesthetic ecosystem of early-1970s Japan helps explain why “ELLE” as a mark reads immediately as fashion-forward, display-oriented graphic culture of the era.

Photo provenance note (collector-circulated information):
This image is often associated by collectors with a Teichiku-related calendar/portrait session circa late 1973, with the poster issued/credited in 1974 (as printed). (I’m including this as collector context; the printed “©1974” credit is the hard, on-item date.)

Meiko Kaji
Meiko Kaji (梶芽衣子) is one of the defining faces of 1970s Japanese genre cinema—an actress/singer whose screen persona helped shape the era’s visual language of cool, controlled intensity, and who became internationally iconic through roles such as Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion and Lady Snowblood.

The poster
This is why this specific design is so desirable as wall art (and why condition matters so much):

• Full-figure studio portrait with a calm, confrontational gaze

• Minimalist, textured backdrop that makes the figure “float” (pure 1970s editorial energy)

• Neutral-toned fashion styling that reads fashion-forward and slightly masculine

• The bottom-margin printing—“©1974 gallery ELLE, Limited” + E-69—confirms it as a Gallery ELLE issue rather than a later reproduction

Rarity and survival
Gallery ELLE posters were made to be display pieces—large, bold, and meant to be hung. Like many oversize Japanese posters, they were often exposed to light, pinholes, edge wear, and handling. Clean survivors—especially featuring a major icon like 梶芽衣子—are genuinely hard to find, and the Gallery ELLE mark is a major value-driving detail for collectors.

Condition
Unrestored example with excellent overall eye appeal and a close-to-near-mint presentation. The photos show sharp color and strong contrast, with only minimal age/handling evidence visible. Please review all photos carefully—they show the exact poster you will receive.

It is over 50 years old!