Temporary Number

wf8

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ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR THIS DESIGN

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Currently Documented Version Characteristics:

Version I:	[no signature]	[no seal]	[title-caption in lower margin]	(example upper left)
Version II:	[no signature]	[no seal]	[no title-caption in lower margin]	(not illustrated)
Version III:	[signature]	[seal]	[no title-caption in lower margin]	(with later So-un markings, example upper right)
Version III:	[signature]	[seal]	[no title-caption in lower margin]	(with later incorrect Hodo-Takemura markings, example lower left)

[For illustration of seals, see the Seals article.]

Design History:
This design was part of the original series of forty-eight designs completed by October 1931 and was also included in later reprintings. The example images were taken with different cameras and under different lighting conditions. However, Version III copies typically do differ somewhat in printing technique and ink color from earlier version copies. In this instance Version I has a pale green background with medium gray bokashi at the bottom while the later version III variants have uninked backgrounds.

The silhouette of wf8 is also used as the background element in a supplemental set design, wfx3.

This design is also included in a small series of garden flowers most of which Nishimura Hodo created for H. Takemura & Co. Although this Takemura series was in direct imitation of Maria Gabo's Western Flowers Series, this particular design is the only one which was adapted by Takemura by simply recarving the original Maria Gabo design and adding Hodo-Takemura markings. In this instance no case can be made that Hodo was the creator of the design, and he was at most the copyist. (See example at lower right above and also the link below for more information and images.)

Species Illustrated:
Two varieties of iris are shown, on the left is a Dutch iris type, and on the right is a large bearded iris type; both Iris hybrids. The other iris types in the primary Rakusan series are the old Japanese varieties rather than these.