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.

Japanese woodblock print quadriptych (four panels) by Osaka actor Yoshitaki (1841-1899) dating circa 1860's. Each panel features an actor standing against an embossed, checkered background. The black ink signature of the artist is in the lower section of each panel. Each chuban sized sheet measures 9 1/2"V x 6 7/8"H. Excellent color with extensive gauffrage and lacquered highlights. The panels are trimmed and Japanese mulberry paper album backed. There is some wrinkling of the paper and ol...

An actor in street attire standing in front of a row of shops and tea houses by Osaka artist Sadahiro (active 1830-1851) dating circa 1845. A pupil of Kunisada, Sadahiro's woodblock prints were published in Osaka in the 1830's and 1840's. The seal of the publisher Iseya Sensaburo appears on the actor's head. The artist's signature is in black ink at the lower left. Exceptional color and impression with lacquer highlights on the edge of the inner kimono and mica in the background. Chuban-siz...

First edition Japanese shin hanga woodblock print by Shiro Kasamatsu (1898-1991) titled "Summer Night" (Natsu no yo) depicting a large fireworks display above a rural village at night. The left margin contains the kanji date of " Showa 33" (1958), the seal of the publisher Unsodo, and the seals of the carver Okura, and printer Shinmi. The artist's red seal is at the lower right corner of the image. The Unsodo (“Un”) watermark is faintly visible at the lower left margin corner. The paper me...

Japanese woodblock print of a dark, rainy nighttime scene. Two figures walk with umbrella and lantern past a temple shrine. Signature in bottom righthand corner with chop.

Size: 17.75" L x 11.75" H

Japanese framed woodblock print signed "Y Jisaku" titled "Winter Afternoon". Numbered 4/77 with signature in pencil. Size: 23" height, 18.75" width, 1.2" depth (in frame) 17" height, 13.75" width (artwork only)

Japanese framed woodblock print signed "Y Jisaku" titled "Winter Evening". Numbered 42/77 with signature in pencil. Size: 23" height, 18.75" width, 1.2" depth (in frame) 17" height, 13.75" width (artwork only)

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.

Japanese limited edition sosaku hanga woodblock print by Tadashi Nakayama (1927 - 2014) titled “Flowers and Riding Horse” (Hana to Kiba) dated 1968. The bottom margin contains, in pencil, the date, artist’s signature and edition number 49/85. The paper measures 20 3/8”V x 15 3/4”H (Image: 14 1/2"V x 11"H). A red Nakayama seal is on the back. In pencil at the bottom left corner of the back is the title, in Japanese, and the original saIes price of 10,000 yen. The print is in very g...

Japanese shin hanga woodblock print titled "Mt. Fuji From Mizukubo at Evening" by Takahashi Shotei, also known as Hiroaki (1871-1945). Originally published by Watanabe in 1936, this is a post-World War II edition. The artist's black ink signature and red seal are at the lower left. The round 6mm seal of the publisher Watanabe is beside the seal. The paper measures about 10 1/4" x 15 1/4" (image size: 9 1/4" x 14 1/2"). This print is cataloged as #O-17 on the informative website www.shotei.com. V...

Woodblock print of a maiko playing cards. Seated with her back toward the viewer, displaying her richly embroidered obi with flying cranes, she looks over her shoulder and demurely displays the card in her hand, the ace of hearts. The background is decorated with a pattern similar to that of her obi, flying cranes and swirling water with applied flecks of gold leaf on a yellow ground.

>Jun-ichirô Sekino traveled widely, not just throughout Japan but also in America, Mexico, Afri...

Japanese color woodblock on tissue-thin paper. print titled "The Bath"- 1905 in pencil, signed Helen Hyde (1868-1919). Print #127. In the top right margin signed "copyright 1905 by Helen Hyde". With artist's HH monogram at lower left. Depicted: A heartwarming scene of a mother in green kimono robes holding her infant child over a tub of water.

Circa 1905

Dimensions: 11 1/4" x 19 1/2"

Japanese antique wood block print entitled "The Cry of the Fox" from the series "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon", by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892). signed Yoshitoshi with artist's seal Yoshitoshi, engraver's mark Enkatsu, and published by Akiyama Buemon, 1886 Based on a kyogen drama, Konkai ('The Cry of the Fox'). Kyogen were short, humorous interludes staged between acts of a No play. In this story, a hunter is visited by his uncle, the priest Hakuzosu, who lectures his nephew on the e...

Japanese print titled "Then Zen" by artist Clifton Karhu (1927-2007) depicting the Laughing Buddha Bodai within an ensō, a Zen Buddhist symbol representing enlightenment as well as the simplicity and elegance of Japanese aesthetics. Bodai sits cross-legged and balances a red sake bowl on his head. The words "nip, sip, dip", "swish", and "then zen" are stylistically written outside of the ensō. Red signature marks and large Japanese characters at written on the right side of the print. ...

Japanese Woodblock print from artist Torii Kotondo (1900-1976). Print displays beautiful japanese woman combing her hair. Wearing a grey silk kimono with pink and darkened green floral details.The woman has lovely blush colored lips with shining raven hair. Print contrasted with blue toned graduated back ground. From the bijinga "12 Beauty" series. Contains signature and seals. Shown close up with detail images.

Circa 1929

Dimensions: 19" H x 13" W ...

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.

Japanese sosaku hanga woodblock print by Tokuriki Tomikichiro (1902-2000) titled “Sanjo Ohashi (Bridge)” dating circa 1950. The artist’s black “tomoe” seal is at the lower right. Shikishi size measuring 11 3/8” x 10 3/4” (paper); image: 11” x 9 1/2.” Excellent color and very good overall condition. There are some slight wrinkles in the paper and a faint diagonal crease in the sky below the bridge. Two small pieces of paper from the original folder remain on the top back co...

Japanese woodblock print triptych of swimming turtles and fish with actor mons and human faces by Yoshu Chikanobu (1838-1912) dated 5th month of Meiji 19 (1886). The convention of disguising portraits of actors arose in the Edo period when bust portraits of actors were banned, through the Tempo Reforms of 1841-1843, for being conspicuous and a detriment to public morality. Each panel measures about 14"V x 9 1/8"H. The print is in good overall condition with fading evident. The panels are sep...