{"product_id":"kirin-beer-woman-in-a-dress-holding-a-glass-キリンビールポスター-グラスを持つドレスの女性-original-pre-war-japanese-advertising-poster-1924-taisho-13-ultra-rare-museum-grade-hb-process-lithograph-c-92-62-cm-copy","title":"“Asahi Beer – Dancer in Purple Dress (アサヒビール踊り子)” – Original Pre‑War Japanese Advertising Poster, circa 1930 (Early Shōwa), Ultra Rare, Museum‑Grade HB‑Process Offset Lithographic Poster (c. 61 × 91 cm)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"240\" data-end=\"984\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn exquisite, ultra‑rare original advertising poster for \u003cstrong data-start=\"297\" data-end=\"311\"\u003eAsahi Beer\u003c\/strong\u003e, produced at the height of Japan’s early Shōwa modernity. This celebrated design – catalogued in Japanese institutional records as \u003cstrong data-start=\"443\" data-end=\"458\"\u003e「アサヒビール踊り子」\u003c\/strong\u003e (“Asahi Beer Dancer”) – presents a luminous Western‑style dancer in a violet beaded dress, pearl necklace, fan and jeweled headdress, her softly modelled face emerging against a deep green‑black ground. The National Museum of Nature and Science’s Industrial Technology History Materials Database records an \u003cstrong data-start=\"766\" data-end=\"789\"\u003e“Asahi Beer Dancer”\u003c\/strong\u003e poster in the Printing Library’s Nomura Collection as \u003cstrong data-start=\"844\" data-end=\"852\"\u003e1930\u003c\/strong\u003e, printed by \u003cstrong data-start=\"865\" data-end=\"884\"\u003eSeihan Printing\u003c\/strong\u003e, using \u003cstrong data-start=\"892\" data-end=\"911\"\u003eoffset printing\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong data-start=\"916\" data-end=\"932\"\u003eH.B. process\u003c\/strong\u003e plate‑making. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"986\" data-end=\"1698\"\u003eProduced by \u003cstrong data-start=\"998\" data-end=\"1044\"\u003eSeihan Insatsu \/ Seihan Printing Co., Ltd.\u003c\/strong\u003e, and bearing the lower‑left \u003cstrong data-start=\"1073\" data-end=\"1079\"\u003eHB\u003c\/strong\u003e printer’s mark, this large‑format sheet is a prime example of Japan’s elite pre‑war commercial printing. The design is associated with \u003cstrong data-start=\"1215\" data-end=\"1265\"\u003eTakagi Hōsui \/ Hossui Takagi (高木葆翠, 1894–1947)\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose lower‑right red signature appears on the poster and whose work is known for combining Japanese bijin‑ga elegance with Westernised glamour, soft airbrushed modelling and Art Deco theatricality. Japanese art-historical sources record Takagi as a Fukuoka-born artist who studied under \u003cstrong data-start=\"1555\" data-end=\"1575\"\u003eOkada Saburōsuke\u003c\/strong\u003e and later became active as a poster designer closely connected with Seihan Printing. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1700\" data-end=\"2277\"\u003eThis exact image is one of the most recognisable surviving designs from the golden age of Japanese beer advertising. Rather than centring the product itself, the poster sells \u003cstrong data-start=\"1875\" data-end=\"1925\"\u003emodernity, nightlife and cosmopolitan pleasure\u003c\/strong\u003e: the moga, or “modern girl,” appears as an emblem of jazz‑age urban Japan, dressed in Western fashion and presented with the allure of a film still or cabaret portrait. NGV describes the moga phenomenon as part of the interwar cultural world in which Japanese modernity and European influence collided and merged. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2279\" data-end=\"3342\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2279\" data-end=\"2297\"\u003ePoster Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"2297\" data-end=\"2300\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2300\" data-end=\"2310\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Asahi Beer – Dancer in Purple Dress (\u003cstrong data-start=\"2348\" data-end=\"2361\"\u003eアサヒビール踊り子\u003c\/strong\u003e)\u003cbr data-start=\"2362\" data-end=\"2365\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2365\" data-end=\"2385\"\u003eBrand \/ Product:\u003c\/strong\u003e Asahi Beer (\u003cstrong data-start=\"2398\" data-end=\"2408\"\u003eアサヒビール\u003c\/strong\u003e)\u003cbr data-start=\"2409\" data-end=\"2412\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2412\" data-end=\"2431\"\u003eCountry \/ Year:\u003c\/strong\u003e Japan, \u003cstrong data-start=\"2439\" data-end=\"2458\"\u003ecirca 1930\u003c\/strong\u003e; institutional record for the Asahi Beer Dancer design gives \u003cstrong data-start=\"2520\" data-end=\"2528\"\u003e1930\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"2528\" data-end=\"2531\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2531\" data-end=\"2542\"\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early Shōwa era\u003cbr data-start=\"2558\" data-end=\"2561\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2561\" data-end=\"2572\"\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original Japanese commercial advertising poster\u003cbr data-start=\"2620\" data-end=\"2623\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2623\" data-end=\"2638\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approx. \u003cstrong data-start=\"2647\" data-end=\"2661\"\u003e91 × 61 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"2713\" data-end=\"2716\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2716\" data-end=\"2738\"\u003eArtist \/ Designer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Attributed \/ catalogued to \u003cstrong data-start=\"2766\" data-end=\"2816\"\u003eTakagi Hōsui \/ Hossui Takagi (高木葆翠, 1894–1947)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"2816\" data-end=\"2819\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2819\" data-end=\"2831\"\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong data-start=\"2832\" data-end=\"2895\"\u003eSeihan Insatsu Kabushiki Kaisha \/ Seihan Printing Co., Ltd.\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong data-start=\"2897\" data-end=\"2909\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e精版印刷株式会社\u003c\/strong\u003e)\u003cbr data-start=\"2910\" data-end=\"2913\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2913\" data-end=\"2934\"\u003ePrinting Process:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong data-start=\"2935\" data-end=\"2978\"\u003eHB‑process offset lithographic printing\u003c\/strong\u003e \/ \u003cstrong data-start=\"2981\" data-end=\"3010\"\u003eH.B. process plate‑making\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"3010\" data-end=\"3013\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3013\" data-end=\"3037\"\u003eDisplay Orientation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vertical one‑sheet\u003cbr data-start=\"3056\" data-end=\"3059\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3059\" data-end=\"3081\"\u003eCorporate Context:\u003c\/strong\u003e Asahi Beer was then part of \u003cstrong data-start=\"3110\" data-end=\"3132\"\u003eDai Nippon Brewery\u003c\/strong\u003e, formed in 1906 through the merger of Osaka Brewery, Nippon Brewery and Sapporo Brewery; Dai Nippon was later split in 1949, creating Asahi Breweries and Nippon Breweries. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3344\" data-end=\"3766\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3344\" data-end=\"3359\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"3359\" data-end=\"3362\"\u003eThe composition is a masterclass in early 20th‑century Japanese advertising glamour. A young dancer reclines or leans forward in a richly coloured \u003cstrong data-start=\"3509\" data-end=\"3539\"\u003epurple flapper‑style dress\u003c\/strong\u003e, her costume animated by beaded highlights, a pearl necklace, a fan and a sparkling headdress. Her softly waved hair, rouge lips, pale complexion and theatrical pose evoke the \u003cstrong data-start=\"3716\" data-end=\"3724\"\u003emoga\u003c\/strong\u003e ideal: urbane, self‑possessed and modern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3768\" data-end=\"4255\"\u003eThe figure is set against a dark green ground, allowing the flesh tones and violet dress to glow with exceptional presence. At left, the bold vertical katakana headline \u003cstrong data-start=\"3937\" data-end=\"3947\"\u003eアサヒビール\u003c\/strong\u003e reads \u003cstrong data-start=\"3954\" data-end=\"3970\"\u003e“Asahi Beer”\u003c\/strong\u003e, its cream lettering and red outline providing a striking Art Deco counterpoint to the painterly modelling of the figure. The poster is notable for its relative restraint: there is no central bottle or glass. Instead, Asahi is represented through \u003cstrong data-start=\"4218\" data-end=\"4254\"\u003emood, fashion and modern leisure\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4257\" data-end=\"4788\"\u003eIn the lower right, the red script signature appears consistent with \u003cstrong data-start=\"4326\" data-end=\"4343\"\u003eHossui Takagi\u003c\/strong\u003e. In the lower left, the small \u003cstrong data-start=\"4374\" data-end=\"4389\"\u003eHB \/ Seihan\u003c\/strong\u003e printer’s device confirms the work’s connection to high‑quality pre‑war commercial printing. The \u003cstrong data-start=\"4487\" data-end=\"4501\"\u003eHB process\u003c\/strong\u003e, commonly associated with the Huebner–Bleistein colour photolithographic system, enabled refined tonal gradations and saturated colour effects; Japanese printing sources describe HB as a process connected with advanced multi‑colour offset printing. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4790\" data-end=\"5103\"\u003eIn person, the poster has the softness and atmosphere of a painted salon portrait, but with the graphic authority of a luxury point‑of‑sale advertisement. It was conceived for display in beer halls, cafés, bars and retail environments at a time when Western‑style beer had become a symbol of urban sophistication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5105\" data-end=\"5386\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5105\" data-end=\"5115\"\u003eRarity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"5115\" data-end=\"5118\"\u003ePre‑war Japanese beer posters were commercial objects, not fine‑art editions. They were displayed, handled, pasted, pinned, replaced and discarded. Their survival rate is extremely low, especially for full‑size sheets with strong colour and recognisable printer marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5388\" data-end=\"5732\"\u003eFor this particular design, the strongest institutional documentation is the National Museum of Nature and Science’s Industrial Technology History Materials Database entry for \u003cstrong data-start=\"5564\" data-end=\"5579\"\u003e「アサヒビール踊り子」\u003c\/strong\u003e, recording a \u003cstrong data-start=\"5593\" data-end=\"5601\"\u003e1930\u003c\/strong\u003e production date, \u003cstrong data-start=\"5619\" data-end=\"5638\"\u003eSeihan Printing\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong data-start=\"5640\" data-end=\"5659\"\u003eoffset printing\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong data-start=\"5664\" data-end=\"5680\"\u003eH.B. process\u003c\/strong\u003e plate‑making. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5734\" data-end=\"6004\"\u003eOriginal examples of this calibre rarely appear outside institutional or specialist collections. The design stands among the canonical images of Japanese beer advertising: a fusion of \u003cstrong data-start=\"5918\" data-end=\"5930\"\u003ebijin‑ga\u003c\/strong\u003e, Art Deco display, moga fashion and advanced early Shōwa colour printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"6006\" data-end=\"6161\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6006\" data-end=\"6019\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"6019\" data-end=\"6022\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6022\" data-end=\"6161\"\u003eCondition: Very Good vintage condition for the period; original surface preserved, with later stabilising verso and edge reinforcement.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"6163\" data-end=\"7740\"\u003e• The poster retains its \u003cstrong data-start=\"6188\" data-end=\"6216\"\u003eoriginal printed surface\u003c\/strong\u003e, with visible signs of age and use including crinkles, handling creases, stains, small losses, scuffs, edge wear, and scattered surface abrasions.\u003cbr data-start=\"6381\" data-end=\"6384\"\u003e• The image field remains visually strong, with \u003cstrong data-start=\"6432\" data-end=\"6477\"\u003erich purple, green, cream and flesh tones\u003c\/strong\u003e presenting exceptionally well when framed.\u003cbr data-start=\"6520\" data-end=\"6523\"\u003e• The lower edge, side edges and verso show later reinforcement with fibrous Japanese paper, likely \u003cstrong data-start=\"6623\" data-end=\"6637\"\u003ekōzo washi\u003c\/strong\u003e, applied to stabilise tears and vulnerable margins.\u003cbr data-start=\"6689\" data-end=\"6692\"\u003e• This reinforcement appears \u003cstrong data-start=\"6721\" data-end=\"6756\"\u003estructural rather than cosmetic\u003c\/strong\u003e: it was likely intended to prevent further tearing, edge loss and paper separation.\u003cbr data-start=\"7139\" data-end=\"7142\"\u003e• The verso shows broad pale reinforcement areas, visible fibre texture and toning consistent with older paper conservation. The faint vertical forms on the back align with the front typography and are best described as \u003cstrong data-start=\"7362\" data-end=\"7413\"\u003eshow‑through or transfer from the printed image.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"7541\" data-end=\"7544\"\u003e• The overall presentation is highly attractive: the poster retains the patina and authenticity of a nearly century‑old commercial artifact while having been stabilised for continued preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"7742\" data-end=\"8154\"\u003eThe conservation is especially appropriate for Japanese paper objects. \u003cstrong data-start=\"7813\" data-end=\"7822\"\u003eWashi\u003c\/strong\u003e is traditionally made from paper‑mulberry fibres; UNESCO identifies Japanese handmade washi as paper made from the fibres of the paper mulberry plant. In conservation practice, kōzo washi is valued because its long fibres provide strength while remaining light, flexible and visually discreet. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"8156\" data-end=\"8552\"\u003eTraditional kōzo preparation involves steaming or stripping the bark, removing the outer layers, cooking the white inner bark, cleaning and beating the fibres, and forming sheets by hand. Conservation guidance from IFLA notes that Japanese paper repair commonly uses washi selected to match the object, with \u003cstrong data-start=\"8464\" data-end=\"8486\"\u003ewheat starch paste\u003c\/strong\u003e recommended as an adhesive. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"8554\" data-end=\"8955\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"8554\" data-end=\"8581\"\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"8581\" data-end=\"8584\"\u003ePre‑war Japanese beer posters form a visual record of one of the most dynamic periods in modern Japanese design. Asahi Beer had been launched in \u003cstrong data-start=\"8729\" data-end=\"8737\"\u003e1892\u003c\/strong\u003e, and by the early 20th century beer advertising had become a sophisticated field in which breweries commissioned leading artists and printers to create highly aspirational images. \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"8957\" data-end=\"9317\"\u003eEarlier Japanese beverage posters often featured kimono‑clad beauties, geisha or more traditional bijin imagery. By the late Taishō and early Shōwa periods, however, the \u003cstrong data-start=\"9127\" data-end=\"9142\"\u003emodern girl\u003c\/strong\u003e became a powerful advertising figure: Western dress, bobbed or waved hair, jewellery, cafés, bars, dance halls and jazz‑age leisure all signalled a new cosmopolitan identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"9319\" data-end=\"9688\"\u003eThis poster epitomises that transformation. Its subject is not a traditional beauty but a glamorous modern performer, dressed in Western evening fashion and presented with the soft-focus elegance of international commercial art. The image speaks simultaneously to \u003cstrong data-start=\"9583\" data-end=\"9687\"\u003egender, urban modernity, consumer culture, nightlife and the globalisation of Japanese visual design\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"9690\" data-end=\"9890\"\u003eWithin this context, \u003cstrong data-start=\"9711\" data-end=\"9750\"\u003eAsahi Beer – Dancer in Purple Dress\u003c\/strong\u003e stands as one of the classic pre‑war Japanese beer posters: seductive, technically refined, culturally specific and visually unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"10965\" data-end=\"11243\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eA truly exceptional opportunity to acquire an \u003cstrong data-start=\"11011\" data-end=\"11049\"\u003eultra‑rare, museum‑worthy survivor\u003c\/strong\u003e from the golden age of Japanese advertising — a centrepiece for any serious collection of \u003cstrong data-start=\"11140\" data-end=\"11242\"\u003eJapanese design, pre‑war ephemera, brewing history, moga imagery or early 20th‑century graphic art\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"10965\" data-end=\"11243\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate of Authenticity included.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japan Poster Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57031034831226,"sku":null,"price":2350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/man-looking-at-an-art-gallery-wall_78.jpg?v=1782855419","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/kirin-beer-woman-in-a-dress-holding-a-glass-%e3%82%ad%e3%83%aa%e3%83%b3%e3%83%93%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab%e3%83%9d%e3%82%b9%e3%82%bf%e3%83%bc-%e3%82%b0%e3%83%a9%e3%82%b9%e3%82%92%e6%8c%81%e3%81%a4%e3%83%89%e3%83%ac%e3%82%b9%e3%81%ae%e5%a5%b3%e6%80%a7-original-pre-war-japanese-advertising-poster-1924-taisho-13-ultra-rare-museum-grade-hb-process-lithograph-c-92-62-cm-copy","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}