Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Woodblock Prints (760)

Kawase Hasui
Woman walking in snow with dog
Date: Early postwar.
Image size. Approximately 5.75 x 3.75 inches.
The woodblock print is tipped at the top to an original early postwar Christmas card.
Condition: Print is excellent. Card is slightly worn.

Kawase Hasui
West Gate, Suwon (Suigen), Korea.
Korean Views Supplement Series.
Date: 1940.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Watanabe 6mm seal in the lower right corner, indicating printing between 1946-1957.
Reference: Hotei #444.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Some of the margins have a tone line.

Kawase Hasui
Winter Moon Over Toyama Plain, 1931
Publisher: Doi Hangaten.
Carver/printer: Harada/Yokoi. This seal combination indicates an early post-war edition. Its pre-war use has also been widely debated.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Condition: Slight ripple at top margin. Otherwise excellent.

Kawase Hasui
Zaimoku Island, Matsushima
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Date: 1933.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Round 6mm seal, indicating a lifetime print produced 1946-1957.
Reference: Hotei #298.
Condition: Excellent. Light crease in water at lower left.

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Zentsuji Temple, Sanshu
Series: Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Kansai edition.
Date: 1937
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.25 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Watanabe 6 mm seal at lower right, indicating a lifetime edition produced between 1946 and 1957.
Reference: Hotei #334.
Condition: Tape at top margin. Upper left image edge has slight tonal difference.

Kawase Hasui
Temple in Snow
Date: ca 1930s.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Size: 7.25 x 5.0 inches.
Condition: Excellent. Tipped at top edge to original sheet.
This print does not appear in Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints. We could find only one other example.

Kikuchi Yuichi
Figure Walking in Snow
Date: Early 1950s.
Woodblock print is tipped at the top to an original 1950s Japanese holiday card.
Size: Approximately 5.75 x 3.75 inches.
Condition: Excellent.

Kikuchi Yuichi (aka Tomokazu)
Shinano Taisho Pond
Date: 1954.
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.75 x 9.75 inches.
Publisher: Adachi. Seal on back.
Yuichi seal at lower left.
Condition: Slight fading. Flattened crease along top margin.
Most Kikuchi Yuichi prints are small. This oban-sized work is rarely seen.

Kobayashi Kiyochika
One Person, Six Faces
Date printed: 1884
Publisher: Matsuki Heikichi
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.25 x 9.75 inches.
Reference: "Kiyochika, artist of Meiji Japan", Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1988, page 62.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Light creasing.

Kiyoshi Saito
Maiko
Date: ca. 1960.
Size: Oban. Approximately 17.25 x 11.5 inches.
Pencil signed and sealed by Saito.
Self-published by the artist.
Silver mica is used on the collar.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Back margins have adhesive residue.

Kiyoshi Saito
Siamese Cat
Date: ca. 1940s-50s.
Paper size: Approximately 23.675 x 18 inches.
Image size: Approximately 19 x 14 inches.
Sealed but not signed.
Self-published by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Laid down to board. Light wrinkling.
Note: In the last image, I show this print paired with another cat (our Saito 025). These cats also appear together in another Saito design known as "Cats".

Kiyoshi Saito Ikaruga-No-Sato Nara (C) 1970
Edition: 36/80 Matted size: 27 x 22 inches.
Visible image size: 21.5 x 16.75 inches.
Date: 1970.
Self-published by the artist.
Signed and sealed in the image.
Titled, numbered, and dated in pencil.
Condition: Edges or full print laid down to backing.
Note: Print is not framed.

Kiyoshi Saito
Siamese Cat (2) (Early Cat)
Date: ca. 1940s-50s.
Paper size: Approximately 23.675 x 18 inches.
Image size: Approximately 19 x 14 inches.
Sealed but not signed.
Self-published by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Laid down to board. Wrinkling. Stain at lower margin.
Note: In the last image, I show this print paired with another cat (our Saito 026)...

Kobayashi Kiyochika
Taro Inari Shrine in the Asakusa Ricefields (Asakusa Tanbo Taro Inari Mae)
From the series, Famous Places of Tokyo (Tokyo Meisho).
Date: 1877-1879.
Signed by the artist at lower left above the grasses.
Publisher: Fukuda Kumajiro.
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.25 x 9.75 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent color. Bumped corners. Margin lightly creases.

Kobayashi Kiyochika
Shrouded Moon Over Takanawa, Ushimachi.
From the series Famous places of Tokyo (Tokyo Meisho).
Date: 1879. This edition 1896.
Signed by the artist in black at lower left.
"Shiba" collector's seal on verso.
Publisher: Fukuda Hatsujiro (successor to Fukuda Kumajiro).
Size: Oban. Approximately 13.25 x 9.25 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Very good color and condition...

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Fishing Boat Returning at Sunset, Yabase, 1933.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Bears the round 6mm seal. This seal was used between 1946 and 1957.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Condition: Pristine. Never displayed. Removed from original presentation folder for archival storage.
A rarely seen work.

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Himeji Castle, March 1936
Size: Mitsugiriban. Approximately 16.0 x 7.25 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo
Koitsu catalogue no.: TK-TM-14
Condition: Tipped at top to original cardstock. Toning and light foxing.

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Nara Horyuji, 1930s
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10.5 x 7.5 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo
Koitsu catalogue no.: TK-TM-72
Condition: Tipped at top to original cardstock. Toning and light foxing.

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Port Tomo, May 1939
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10.0 x 7.5 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo
Koitsu catalogue no.: TK-TM-54
Condition: Tipped at top to original cardstock. Very light foxing.

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Onomichi Saikokuji, December 1935
Size: Mitsugiriban. Approximately 16.0 x 7.25 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo
Koitsu catalogue no.: TK-TM-10
Condition: Tipped at top to original cardstock. Wavy crease and and light foxing.

Sparrow on Hortensia (Blue Hydrangea) (aka. A Songbird Among Hydrangea)
Size: Kotanzaku. Approximately 19.4 x 9.6 cm. 7.75 x 3.75 inches.
Date: ca. 1910.
Publisher: Matsumoto (no. 106).
Kono Bairei seal at lower left. Bairei died in 1895, which, curiously, was before Matsumoto was in business. Matsumoto has also issued this print with a proper Koson seal. Please see an example in our last photo.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent...

Ohara Shoson (Koson)
Two wild ducks near water; reeds behind
A well-known woodblock print and the original watercolor on board on which it was based.
Date: 1930s.
Watercolor size: 14 x 7 inches.
Woodblock print size: Approximately 15 x 6.75 inches.
Date: 1930s.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Shoson signature and seal on each.
Reference: S7.4 in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Amy Reigle Newland).
Condition of waterc...

Ohara Koson
Fox between reeds near moonlit water.
Date: ca. 1930.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.0 x 10.5 inches.
Publisher: Kawaguchi and Sakai. Seal in left margin.
Reference: No. S41.4, p. 212 in "Crows Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson" (Reigle Newland).
Condition: Very good. Toning line evident at margin.
A rare design.

Kuniyoshi
Exiled Nichiren in Snow at Tsukahara, Sado Island
Size: Approximately 13.75 x 9.0 inches.
Date of first printing by Iseya Rihei: 1830-35.
Here is a rare limited edition (numbered 182) of this famous design...

Lilian May Miller (1895-1943)
The Three-Foot Bamboo Pipe
Date: 1927.
Size: Approximately 5.625 x 3.75 inches.
From the book, Grass Blades from a Cinnamon Garden.
Monogrammed within the image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning.

Lilian Miller
Father Kim of Korea
Date: 1920.
Numbered: 257
Size: Approximately 8 x 6.25 inches.
Self-published.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Condition: Excellent. Left margin has small nick.

Lilian May Miller (1895-1943)
Hong Kong Junk.
Date: 1928. Marked first edition in pencil.
Signed, dated, and monogrammed within the image.
Stamped "Lilian Miller Oriental Woodcuts" in margin.
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.25 x 10.25 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Back margin has marks from former matte.

Lilian May Miller (1895-1943)
The Little Shrines on Quiet Hills
Date: 1927.
Size: Approximately 5.625 x 3.75 inches.
From the book, Grass Blades from a Cinnamon Garden.
Monogrammed within the image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning.

Rain at Shinobazu Pond
Sealed "S". Artist unidentified.
Date: ca. 1940s.
Print size: 3.75 x 2.75 inches.
Publisher: Unsodo. From a group included in an Unsodo client sample book.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print attached along top edge only to original holiday card.
Condition: Tiny dot in sky.

Shiko Munakata (1903 ~ 1975)
Titled in Japanese: Flower(s) of Vienna, the great Leo Sirota ウィーンノハナ　レオシロタ大人
Dated: April 11, 1965.
Leo Sirota (1885-1965) was one of the world's most famous pianists. Munakata was his friend and produced this print shortly after Sirota's death.
Edition: Not known. A color version of this design exists.
Signed: "Shiko" in Japanese; "Munakata" in English.
Sheet size: 16 x 10.75 inches...

Muto Katei (b. 1910)
Engakuji Temple in Kamakura
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Bears the Watanabe 6mm seal, indicating an early edition.
Date: 1954
Size: Oban: Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Condition: Pristine. Never displayed. Removed from original folder for archival storage.
Muto Katei studied printmaking under Kawase Hasui.
The unusual color palette works beautifully in this image.

Narazaki Eisho (1864-1936) (aka. Kyokudo, Fuyo, Shinjo)
Futagawa in Snow (Futagawa no Yuki)
Date: Early 20th century.
Size: Approximately 7.25 x 5.25 inches.
Signed and sealed "Kyokudo".
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
A very rare creped print.
Condition: Unframed. Excellent.
The uneven margin is due to the creping process.

Nishimura Hodo
Bridge in Rain at Night
Date: 1930s.
Size: Mitsugiriban. Approximately 15.5 x 7.25 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Shokai (stamp in left margin). Takemura Hideo label on back.
Signed by the artist. Takemura seal below signature.
Edition: First and only.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Light, horizontal crease in sky. Toning in margin

Nishimura Hodo
Summer Rain
Date: 1930s.
Size: Mitsugiriban. Approximately 15.5 x 7.25 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Shokai (stamp in left margin). Takemura Hideo label on back.
Signed by the artist. Takemura seal below signature.
Edition: First and only.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Top back corners have paper residue.

Nishimura Hodo
Hirosaki Castle in the Spring
Date: 1933.
Size: Oban. 15.625 x 10.5 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo. Stamp in left margin and label on back.
Sealed by the artist at lower left.
Edition: First and only.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Upper portion toned where not covered by former matte.
Note: RARE - The only other example we could locate is in the Honolulu Museum.

Noel Nouet(1885-1944)
Kuromon, 1936. From the 24 Views of Tokyo series.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten. Carver: Ikeda, Printer: Yokoi. Bears the Doi watermark.
An early edition of rarely seen design.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.