ONTSU-E Cartoons, Six after Matabei from Kyoto Ha

ONTSU-E Cartoons, Six after Matabei from Kyoto Hanga-In Co., an edition of six within Kyoto Hanga folder, with one descriptive page containing titles and historical background. Each cartoon measures 9" x 12.5".

Ray Cadle was introduced to the world of Japanese printmaking shortly after World War II, in which he had served in the Army from 1942 until its resolution. Afterward, he was appointed Arts and Crafts Director at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Then, following a brief stint in West Virginia as a social worker, in 1949 Mr. Cadle accepted a position he had been longing for, as the Second Air Force Arts and Crafts Director in Yokohama, Japan.

During his two-year contract, Mr. Cadle became actively involved in the arts and crafts program in Yokohama and the surrounding regions. As an artist himself, Cadle exhibited regularly and was closely associated with many woodblock artists who were then beginning to enjoy international fame. Among these were Kiyoshi Saito and Ryukyo Saito, each of whom Mr. Cadle studied under and socialized with on a regular basis (Kiyoshi Saito later visited Mr. Cadle in his home in America).

Mr. Cadle must have become an avid collector while residing in Japan, and it appears the majority of the collection was acquired during this period of time. The woodblocks offered here were collected by Mr. Cadle to further his own artistic advancement and to serve as references. The similarity between Kiyoshi Saito's work and Mr. Cadle's is clearly evident.