Catalog (787)

"Mandarin Ducks" and "Sparrows on Hedge"
Artist: Seals unread.
Size: Each approximately 5.625 x 3.625 inches 14.2 x 9.2 cm
Date: ca. 1910.
Publisher: Matsumoto (Nos. 427 and 424).
Medium: Japanese woodblock prints.
Condition: Ink marks as shown. Original fibers within handmade paper.
Early and rarely seen designs.

Puppies and Banana
Artist: Unidentified. This print is also known to have the unread artist's seal in our enlargement #3.
Size: Approximately 14.4 x 9.0 cm. 5.675 x 3.5 inches
Date: ca. 1910.
Publisher: Matsumoto (No. 416).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
An early and rarely seen design.

Spring Field
Artist: Unidentified.
Size: Approximately 5.625 x 3.625 inches 14.2 x 9.2 cm
Date: ca. 1910.
Publisher: Matsumoto (No. 425).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Wave in paper where original publisher's tag is attached to the back.
The Matsumoto catalog states, "Butterflies are flitting to and fro among the flowers."
An early and rarely seen design.

Title: Tokumochi
Artist's signature not read. The second kanji in the signature is read "haru" or "shun."
Print size: Approximately 5.125 x 3.375 inches.
Date: ca. 1930s.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print tipped along its top edge onto a 6.625 x 4.75-inch greeting card containing a signed message.
Condition: Print excellent. Card is discolored.

Unsigned Japanese Woodblock Print
Woman in Purple on Balcony
Date: Early 20th century.
Size: 11.0 x 8.5 inches.
Provenance: From the collection of Canadian missionary Sybil Courtice, who was in Japan from the early 20th century up until WWII.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Woman in Snow with Umbrella and Lantern
Artist: Unsigned.
Date: 1930s or earlier.
Size: 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Small raised bump at lower left.

Jinbo Tomoyo (1902-1994)
Given title: Woman in Lavender Kimono
Date: 1957.
Size: 18.25 x 11.75 inches.
Edition: First.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Carver: Sato Jurokichi. Printer: Inomura Shonosuke.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
Note: One of just a few prints made by this artist.
Tomoyo Jinbo (Teisaburo) studied under Hirazaki Eiho and Ito Shinsui.

Jinbo Tomoyo (1902-1994)
Pensive Girl
Date: 1939.
Size: 16.5 x 11.25 inches.
Edition: First and only.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Edition: 56 of 100. Hand numbered in Japanese on back beside one hundred limitation seal.
Artist's red seal on back with date and seals of carver (Ishizaka Kenichi) and printer (Nakamura Sanjiro).
Mica highlights on hair ornaments.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Abrasion at index finger area. A few ...

Joichi Hoshi (1911-1979)
Field
Size: 32 inches by 17.25 inches.
Date: 1974.
Edition: 63/99
Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print on gold leaf.
Condition: Light toning at margin. Back margin has tape residue and one reinforced corner.
Note: Please see additional images for texture and metallics.

Joichi Hoshi (1911-1979)
Great Tree (Small)
Date: 1975.
Edition: 15/60.
Sheet Size: 9.25 x 6.5 inches.
Image size: 7.25 x 5 inches.
Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist in pencil.
Notes: Yellows, blues and greens in the tree with gold leaf metallics on silvery background. Frequently seen in unlimited edition, here is a rarely encountered numbered example.
Condition: Matte line in margin. Tape residue on back. Foxing in margin and on back.

Jun (Jun'ichiro) Sekino
Postscript Thoughts on "The Book of the Ghost". This very rare booklet with woodblock-printed covers is Sekino's reflections on having produced and self-published the 1950 woodblock-printed work, "The Book of the Ghost". The cover page reads, "Please Read this Little Booklet as a Personal Letter from Me."
Publisher: The artist's Sosaku Shuppan company.
The book is a single sheet folded into eight pages and has a wonderful T. Kato ex-libris inside.
Siz...

Tsunenobu Kano (1636-1713)
Pheasant and Wildflowers
Date: 1900-1910s.
Size: 8.75 x 6.75 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Residue at back. Light creasing.

Kaoru Kawano
Camellia (G) (Tsubaki)
Date: 1950
Size: Double oban. 23.75 x 18 inches.
Edition: 46/200.
Self-carved by Kawano.
Sealed by the artist at lower right.
Signed, titled, and numbered at lower margin.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: The thick paper has some thinner areas on the back from removal from backing. Slight toning line in margin.

Kaoru Kawano
Two Girls
Date: 1950s-60s
Size: Approximately 16.5 x 11.5 inches.
Sealed by the artist at lower right and on verso.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. We've removed this print from its original folder.

Kaoru Kawano (1916-1965)
Two Kittens
Date: 1950s-60s.
Size: Approximately 16.75 x 11.25 inches.
Sealed by the artist at lower right and on verso.
Self-published by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Tape residue at back margins and top front margin.

Kasamatsu Shiro (1898 - 1991)
Rice Planting (Taue)
Date: 1953. First edition.
Publisher: Unsodo.
Size: Oban. Approximately 16 x 10.625 inches.
Signed and sealed in Japanese in the image. Signed in English at lower margin.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Kasamatsu Shiro (1898 - 1991)
Shirahone Hot Spring in Shinshu
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Date: 1935. This edition post-1989 from the original blocks.
Publisher: S. Watanabe. Red seal at left margin along with printer's seal. Watanabe round seal in lower left corner of image.
Artist's signature and seal in image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Kasamatsu Shiro (1898 - 1991)
Spring Night, Ginza
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.75 x 10.25 inches.
Date: 1934. This edition post-1989 from the original blocks.
Publisher: S. Watanabe. Red seal at left margin. Round seal in lower right corner of image.
Artist's signature and seal in image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.