Xmas

Dimensions: 20 ½ x 11 ½ in. (50.07 x 29.21 cm)

Markings: (in white ink at bottom of print) Print number: 35/50 Artist's signature: Sadao Watanabe Date: 1963

Sadao Watanabe, born in Tokyo in 1913, spent much of his early life as an apprentice in dyers' shops. As a young adult, he studied under the famed textile designer Keisuke Serizawa. Serizawa was a prominent figure in the mingei (Japanese folk art) movement, with which Watanabe also became associated. Watanabe, who converted to Christianity as a teenager, was known for depicting Biblical scenes from a uniquely Japanese, mingei-style perspective in his work. This print shows the newborn Jesus in a rustic setting with animals nearby, alluding to the manger typically shown in Western versions of the scene.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Thomas