This note discusses new (in 2015)finds in the world of Haku Maki prints.

Haku Maki was a major creative Japanese print maker of the second half of the 20th century. His major output from 1965 to 1990 consisted to several different themes of prints Kanji was the main theme for the first 15 years of that period. Then. Ceramics was second. But he also did a large number of prints with persimmon on theme. Most of the persimmon prints showed just one fruit. A few showed two Only two showed 3. These are shown here Both prints are serene no jarring colors or edges...

This is one of three research notes that were numbered 23. This one is about Work 73-2, a Maki homage to a 19th-century Chinese writer. Dan Tretiak wrote: Enigma. The original eBay seller wrote this in his listing. He really got it right. Maki’s print has the four-character phrase as done by Deng in his writing in the 19th century We confirm Deng and Maki were in sync. The arrangement of Maki’s gold seal is more used in Chinese than Japanese. In any case ENJOY

Note 10 part II continues to discuss the evolution of Maki's prints.

In 1976 Haku Maki did three pairs of prints in which the black and white were reversed. One set is shown here. The cement blocks were used to print the white on black, then cleaned to do black on white. These were done in such themes as Mind Wind and Cloud. These are strong sweeping images in rather large prints. The two Wind images here are typical of the type. They are all about 15" x 20" and in editions of 150.

Another of Maki's all-white prints, this one is of a Chinese coin. wu wei zhi zu Frame 5 shows the Han dynasty coin which inspired this 1981 print.

This research note was edited by Lois Dougan Tretiak whose assistance is gratefully noted.

This is Daniel Tretiak's note about Maki huge print Poem-Woman, which is a horizontal print that measures 3ft x 6ft. His note is in the photos that are a part of this entry. Here he described photos that he was presenting along with his note. He said: Frame 8 is the same image but done with a yellow sun and purple moon. It is 33/50. This suggests many of the first 33 and then some were done this way; then Maki did not use these colors. I do not own this print...

One of Maki’s favorite themes was the image shown here. Some outstanding ones are shown in the listing. I reckon Maki did about 25 different prints with the theme Child. Several little children can be seen swimming in the image in frame 9. The child in the right of this list panel is the image imprinted in the cover of Festive Wine, to which Maki contributed 21 images in 1969.

In 1970 the famous collector of Japanese art Felix Juda commissioned Haku Maki to produce at least 3 different sets of cards for greeting and thanks. Here we show three. The 4th image may have been one such card or a small print. I have owned it for many years and am still studying it. The ones done for Juda varied in attractiveness. The green one is vintage Maki: good design, good color, and good composition. It is only 5”x 5” but packs a wallop...

A diptych of Maki prints, one done in 1968 and the other in 1969. In the best of Maki's spartan austere style, they are Poem 68-40 and Poem 69-13.

Haku Maki did a wide range of works: prints of many sizes, book plates, greeting cards, and postcards. Here are four postcards that he did in 1999. They are lithographs, each signed and with a Maki seal. They also appeared as prints at the same time. Haku Maki or his family produced them in the last year or so of his life.

In 1960 Maki did the image shown. It is called Symbol. In all the years of collecting Maki prints and images I have never seen this one again. It is quite large but seems cluttered. Forty years later he did it as a print and a post card even as one friend has suggested he did the print before 1999, the date on the print. The seals are authentic not printed, and they are original Maki seals from well-used chops.

5.75 x 8.5 in. ai in Japanese The white background is punctuated by a yellow sun and a red splash --true Maki style. Frame 5 shows Sanae’s careful translation and explanation of this print – and her intuition as to what Maki-san may have meant when he created this image 41 years ago. Copyright 2012 Sanae Nakajima Chambers and Daniel Tretiak

Some time ago one Connie Elrod offered me a set of the Maki zodiac in a format never seen before or since. These are not pulled from cement blocks. Rather they seem to be printed lithographs. One James Imai, a friend of Maki who lives in California, commissioned Maki to do a special zodiac set for the Lunar Year. Imai seems to have sent a card every year to friends. Imai sent them to his friend James Elrod seemingly one every year for 12 years...

The bottom margin states this is 39/777 but did Maki really do that many and if so where are they? This is a late-in-life Maki print. Where did this idea come from? A sunflower! I know van Gogh did quite a few famous paintings depicting many sunflowers, all realistic paintings. The Japanese printmaker Tadashi Nakayama did many different takes on Sunflowers. These were realistic depictions. Nakayama did fewer...

Original lithograph by Wendell H. Black (American, 1919-1972) in excellent original unframed condition. Artist proof, printed and signed by the artist l.r. Also titled l.l. An extremely rare impression by a master printmaker. Provenance on request. One of a number of works by this artist currently offered. Please inquire.

In 1970 quite suddenly Haku Maki started producing truly large prints. They were dramatic and somewhat unexpected, all at least 24in x 24in and extended in size to 35in x 35in. His huge print of a woman is 36in x 72in. All of these were created in 1970. Then no Big ones until Big Mu done in 1973. Then no more huge ones. What happened to Maki? What happened to the supply of paper? This Poem 70-10 is pretty large--17.5in W x 24.5in H--but it was succeeded by others even larger.