Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Woodblock Prints (735)

Kihei Sasajima
The Buddhist Goddess Kisshouten
Date: ca. 1960s.
Publisher: Yoneda Minoru (impressed colorless seal at lower margin).
Date: 7 x 5 inches.
Medium: Woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning. Margin trimming.

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Dancing Girls Enjoying Cool Breeze On River Kamo
Date: 1919.
Size: Approximately 7 x 4.5 inches.
Hasui signature and seal at lower right.
Publisher: Yoshusha.
Edition: First.
This marginless print was issued as seen here tipped along its top edge into the 1919 first edition book, "Sights of Old Capital" by Aisaburo Akiyama...

Kawase Hasui
Postal Life Insurance Office
Date: ca. 1930s/1940s.
Size: 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Hasui seal at lower right.
Rare genuine woodblock-printed postcard.
Condition: Front is excellent. Verso has residue at top corners.

Kawase Hasui
Wakanoura
Date: 1930s.
Size: Koban. Approximately 6.25 x 4.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
"Made in Japan" on verso.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Paper residue at back.

Kawase Hasui
Uji Bridge (aka Bridge on a Starry Night)
Note: But are the stars fireflies? The Uji Bridge and River are known for fireflies.
Date: 1930s.
Size: Koban. Approximately 7.75 x 5.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Hasui's oval seal at lower left.
Made in Japan stamped on verso.
Reference: Hotei #Hp-24.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Kawase Hasui
Spring Rain at Gokokuji
Size: Oban. Approximately 16 x 10.75 inches.
Date: 1932.
This edition 1948-50.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten. Carver: Katsumura (same carver as first edition). Printer: Ito.
Doi publisher's watermark at upper left corner margin.
Artist's signature and seal at upper right.
Condition: A surface dot on the base of the lantern. A few light margin creases...

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Snow at Shiba Park (Shiba Koen no Yuki)
Date: 1931
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.25 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Edition: First. Watanabe B seal (used 1927-32) in right margin.
Reference: Hotei #244.
Condition: Formerly matted with some tonal difference primarily near lower margin. One foxing mark in lower foreground.
Note: This famous Hasui design was also used later in a 1953 Pacific Transport Lines calendar.

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Snow at Nezu Gongen Shrine
Date: 1933.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Watanabe 6 mm seal at lower left, indicating a lifetime edition produced between 1946 and 1957.
Reference: Hotei #345.
Condition: Slight toning as seen in margin. Tape residue at top back margin.

Kawase Hasui
Pinebeach at Miho
Date: 1930s.
Print sze: Koban. Approximately 5.875 x 4 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso bottom margin.
Reference: Hotei #Hp-9
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Top back corners have paper residue.

Kawase Hasui
Morning at Niju Bridge (Nijubashi no Asa)
Date: Monday, August 17, 1936.
Size: 7.5 x 5.375 inches (19 x 13.6 centimeters).
Note: This rare print was the cover of a dinner menu for the Yasukuni Maru, a cruise ship on the N.Y.K. Line (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha)...

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Moon at Magome
Date: 1930.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Watanabe C (sausage) seal at right margin, making this a first edition produced between 1929-1942.
Reference: Hotei #165.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Point-sized repair in upper left corner of sky...

Kawase Hasui
The Torii at Miyajima at Night
Date: 1930s.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Size: Koban. Approximately 6.25 x 4.25 inches.
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso.
Reference: Hotei Hp-52.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Hasui Kawase
Kasuga Shrine, Nara
Series: Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition.
Size: Oban. 15.375 x 10.25 inches.
Date: 1933
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Publisher's 6mm seal (printed 1946-1957).
Reference: Hotei #317.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning. Excellent color.

Kawase Hasui
Fisherman at Sunset
Date: 1930s. This edition 1950s-60s.
Approximately 5.5 x 3.75 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Artist's oval seal at lower left.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print attached along its top edge only to original card.
Condition: Excellent.

Kawase Hasui
Enoshima at Night
Date: 1930s.
This is a late edition (post-1989) printed from the original blocks.
Approximately 6.25 x 4.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe.
Artist's oval seal at lower right.
Reference: Hotei #Hp-23.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Kawase Hasui
Dawn Over Lake Shoji
Size: Approximately 8.75 x 7 inches.
Date: 1935. First and only edition.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo for a calendar commissioned by Japan Government Railways. Please see the included original Japanese Government Railways tag.
Reference: Hotei #370.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Margins trimmed...

Katsuyuki Nishijima
Title: Tsubakizaka Pass in Snow
Size: 17.25 x 12.5 inches.
Edition: 12/500.
Date: post-1980.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Top back margin has former tape marks.

Katsuyuki Nishijima
Title: Kudaya (The Kudaya Travellers Inn in Kyoto)
Size: 17.125 x 12.5 inches.
Edition: 405/500.
Date: post-1980.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Top back margin has former tape marks.

Katsuhira Tokushi (1904-1971)
Five Kinds of Sleigh - Akita Prefecture
Date: 1932.
Image size: Approximately 5.5 x 3.75 inches.
Prints are tipped along top edge to 9.5 x 7.0 card.
Folder included.
1. Hako Sori (Box Sleigh), 2. Naga Sori (Long Sleigh), 3. Uma Sori (Horse Sleigh), 4. Kazu Sori (Kazu Sleigh), 5...

Katsuhira Tokushi (1904-1971)
Snow Hut (Yuki Muro)
Date: 1932
Bears the round "Toku" seal. Size: Approximately 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Condition: Excellent. Unframed.
Katsuhira Tokushi was a true folk artist, as he grew up in rural Akita Prefecture without encountering other artists and their work.

Katsuhira Tokushi (1904-1971)
Rice Bales (Fumidawara)
Date: 1932
Bears the round "Toku" seal.
Size: Approximately 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Unframed.
Katsuhira Tokushi was a true folk artist, as he grew up in rural Akita Prefecture without encountering other artists and their work.

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.

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)
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.

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.

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
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.

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.

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...

Josetsu (Jousetsu) 城雪
Cock and Hen with Chickens under a Plum-tree
Size: 7 x 4.75 inches.
Date: ca. 1910.
Publisher: Matsumoto Print Works. Cat. #164 tag on back.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print from a painting by Tokyo artist Josetsu.
Condition: A few marks. Slight waviness corresponding to location of tag on back.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.