Catalog (132)

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.

Yoshimoto Gesso
Figure at Temple
Date: 1930s.
Print size: Tanzaku. Approximately 13.25 x 3.125 inches.
Publisher: Nishinomiya Yosaku (Stamp on verso)
Artist's seal at lower right.
Reference: No. 1591.
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso.
Woodblock print is attached along its top edge to original card.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Weissaster (White Aster) Translated by Karl Florenz (German language).
Date: 1897. This edition 1904 with wrap around case.
Published by T Hasegawa, Tokyo (17 Shitaya, Kaminegishi).
96 pages including covers.
Size: 7.75 x 6.0 inches.
Artist: Arai Yoshimune and Mishima Shoso
These charming, profusely illustrated books consist entirely of woodblock prints on creped paper bound with ties and glue. Hasegawa employed some of the best woodblock print artists of the era - ...

Koizumi Kishio
Lingering Snow at Five-storied Pagoda
No. 7 from the series, Views of Nikko National Park
Date: 1936.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10 x 7.75 inches (25.6 x 19.6 cm).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Possibly faintly signed at lower right.
Condition: Excellent.

Tadamasa Ueno (Torii Tadamasa)
Kumadori Ju-hachi Ban. Makeup for Asagao Senpei from Sukeroku. Eighteen Famous Kabuki Plays.
Date: 1940. First edition.
Size: 15.75 x 10.75 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Seal E (1932-42) at lower left margin.
Signed and sealed at upper left.
Condition: Fading in the blues. The upper background was tinted blue where formerly matted.

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.

Aoki Seiko (b. 1880)
Flying Cuckoo
Size: Approximately 9.75 x 4.625 inches. 24.8 x 11.8 cm.
Date: ca. 1910.
Publisher: Matsumoto Print Works. Cat. #360 tag on back.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight creasing where publisher's original tag is attached to back. Small dash mark indentation under bird.
- Rarely seen.

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.

Aoki Seiko (b. 1880)
Mt. Fuji and Sailboat (Fuji Yama)
Size: Kotanzaku. Approximately 24.8 x 12.0 cm. 9.75 x 4.75 inches.
Date: ca. 1910.
Artist's signature and seal at lower right.
Publisher: Matsumoto (No. 367). Original publisher's tag on back.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: A few marks in sky. Small bends at top and bottom edges.

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.

Urushibara Mokuchu (Yoshijiro) (1888-1953)
Horse (Facing Upward)
Date: ca. 1940s.
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.75 x 10.75 inches.
Signed "Y. Urushibara" in pencil.
Sealed "Mokuchu".
Round watermark at top margin.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
Removed from original folder.

Goats at Sunset Artist: Seal not read.
Date: Early twentieth century.
Size: 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Publisher: Shmbi Shoin.
Medium: Japanese woodblcock print.
Condition: Excellent. Sent by Shozo Nakamura to Dr. and Mrs. Dr. Dawson.

Ito Nisaburo
Osaka Dotonbori
Date: 1960s
Size: 17.75 x 12 inches. Full margins shown in additional photo.
Publisher: Uchida Woodblock Printing Co., Ltd.
Artist's seal and publisher's seal at lower right.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Toned back. Slight fading. Tape residue at top margin.
- Interesting signage and fashions. This is a rarely seen design by Ito. There is an example at The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

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...

Katsuhara Shinya (Tatsuhara Inuki) (1951-2015)
A woman with mirror in art deco style
Size: 16.25 x 7.25 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Date ca.: Late 20th century, pre-1995.
Edition: 72/200 numbered in pencil on back.
Signed "Shinya" in the image and sealed.
Enlargement 2 shows the upper part of the print in which the black background features a checkerboard pattern that only becomes visible in side light.
Condition: Excellent.

Ito Sozan
Peahen
Date: Pre-1923. Pre-earthquake.
Size: Tanzaku. 11.75 x 5.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Artist's double red square seal at lower right.
Reference: Attribution by Mauro Novelli as T-48 at itosozan.com.
Medium: Crepe (chirimen) Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Lightly foxed.

Utagawa Fusatane
An evening scene from the Snow, Moon, Flower series
Date: ca. 1850s-60s.
Size: 11.75 x 9.5 inches.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Two punch holes from original folio. Thinned area from wormhole at upper left.

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.