Lot 232: Yoshiyuki Iwase , 1904-2001 seaweed harvest

the photographer's credit stamps in blue and red ink on the reverse, matted, 1956

measurements note 17 1/2 by 21 3/8 in. (44.5 by 54.3 cm.)

Acquired by the present owner from the Yoshiyuki Iwase Archive, Japan, 2007

In postwar Japan, the photographer and sake distillery heir Yoshiyuki Iwase found inspiration in the local traditions of the ama ('sea women') in his family's hometown fishing village of Onjuku. The well-paid ama made as many as eighty deep dives per day into the ocean during the May to September season, with no diving gear save masks, to retrieve mollusks, shellfish, and seaweed. While working or relaxing, they were topless, wearing only cotton shorts that enabled them to move freely in the water and on shore. This image won the Japanese Prime Minister's Prize in 1957. Iwase's prints are scarce, as most of his original prints and negatives were lost after his death.