Bishin Jumonji

signed and editioned '2/5' in pencil on the reverse, flush-mounted to acrylic, 1971, printed later

John Szarkowski and Shoji Yamagishi, New Japanese Photography (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1974), p. 109

Beyond the Senses: Bishin Jumonji Photographs (Tokyo, 2007), unpaginated

This photograph, with wide margins and flush-mounted to acrylic, is in generally excellent condition. There is a small yellow deposit at the lower left margin and a small deposit at the upper right margin, which likely occurred during the mounting process. This does not affect the image in any way.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1971, the young Japanese photographer Bishin Jumonji made 12 images of headless figures. Collectively known as Untitled, this series was first published in the Tokyo-based photograph magazine Camera Mainichi, edited by Shōji Yamagishi. At The Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1974, Yamagishi and John Szarkowski curated New Japanese Photography, the first broad survey of contemporary Japanese photography outside of Japan. This traveling exhibition presented 15 small, one-man shows by some of the most talented Japanese photographers, including Shomei Tomatsu, Eikoh Hosoe, Daido Moriyama, Kikuji Kawada, and Ken Ohara.  A print of this image and that offered in the following lot were among the four photographs from Jumonji’s Untitled series featured in the exhibition and are now in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York.