Kawase Hasui
Skirt of Mount Fuji
From Pacific Transport Line's "Prints for Twelve Months".
Date: 1952.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Reference: Hotei #577.
Condition: Three faint dots in the sky that may be foxing. A point-sized repair below the shed (see pics). Paper lightly toned.
Note: This rare print is the 1953 calendar state with green grass.
Provenance: From a California collector.

Japanese sosaku hanga woodblock print featuring an embossed image of a traditional female doll from Awaji Island in profile by Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997). The artist's black ink signature is at the lower left and Saito's red seal is at the lower right portion of the image. Unlimited edition possibly dating circa 1957 when a similar limited edition image was produced. That image is illustrated as plate 551 on pg. 183 of the 2003 catalogue produced by the Kiyoshi Saito Museum of Art, Yanaizu...

Hasui Kawase
Kami(no) Bridge Fukagawa (Kaminohashi, Fukagawa).
Series: Twelve Scenes of Tokyo.
Date: 1920.
Size: Oban. 15.25 x 10.375 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo...

Japanese double-oban sized limited edition sosaku hanga woodblock print titled "Sacred Crane (B)" by Kaoru Kawano (1916-1965) dating circa 1950s. The artist's pencil signature and red seal are at the lower right section of the image. The bottom margin contains the edition number 74/200, the title in kanji and English, and the name of the artist. A "self-carved self-printed" label with red seal is attached at the upper back. Paper: 23 1/2" x 18" (image: 22 1/2” x just over 16”)...

Japanese limited edition woodblock print by French artist Paul Jacoulet (1902-1960) titled "Tempest of the Heart. Seoul, Korea" (Tempete de Coeur. Seoul, Korea) published August 27, 1948. This image is illustrated on page 68 (plate 96) of “The Prints of Paul Jacoulet” by Richard Miles, 1982. It is described on page 110. The print is pencil-signed and bears the red ivy seal at the left side of the image. The seal of the carver and printer (Maeda/Honda) is at the lower left margin corner...

Japanese limited edition woodblock print by French artist Paul Jacoulet (1902-1960) titled "Old Man with Rosary. Kawadzu" (Vieillad Au Chapelet. Kawadzu) published July 25, 1940. This image is illustrated on page 59 (plate 68) of “The Prints of Paul Jacoulet” by Richard Miles, 1982. It is described on page 105. The print is pencil-signed and bears the red butterfly seal at the right side of the image. The seal of the carver and printer (Maeda/Ogawa) is at the lower right margin corner...

Kawase Hasui
Spring Moon at Ninomiya Beach
Date: 1932.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.75 x 10.5 inches.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten. Carver: Harada. Printer: Yokoi. Also bears the Doi watermark.
This seal combination indicates an early postwar edition.
Reference: Hotei #273.
Condition: The back has foxed areas that show through slightly in the front margins.

Japanese limited edition sosaku hanga woodblock print by Benji Asada (1899-1984) titled “Snow at Rakuhoku” dated 1935. The print is signed BEN in black ink and Asada in pencil at the lower left. The kanji title and 1935 date are on the back at the lower edge. Numbered 30/45 in red at the bottom margin below the tree trunks. Paper: 10 5/16” x 15 1/2” (image: 9 3/8” x 14 3/8"). Good overall condition with full margins and clean back with no tape or tape stains...

Japanese Meiji period woodblock print triptych by Yoshu Chikanobu (1838-1912) titled "Setsubun" (The Close of Winter) from the series "The Inner Chiyoda Palace" published by Fukuda Hatsujiro. The publisher's seal holding the date 1st month of 1896 is located at the lower left corner of the left panel below the artist's signature...

Japanese shin hanga woodblock print titled “Flycatchers in Snow” by Ohara Koson (1878-1945), also known as Shoson, published by Watanabe in 1929. The print depicts two blue and white flycatchers on nandina covered in red berries and snow. Post WWII edition with a red Watanabe 6mm circular seal (used 1946-1957) at the lower left corner beneath the artist's signature and seal. Paper: 14 5/8" x 9 13/16" (image: 14 3/16" x 9 7/16"). Very good overall condition...

Pencil-signed Japanese shin hanga woodblock print by Toshi Yoshida (1911-1995) titled "Sea Horses" and dated in the left margin 1952. A "jikoku" seal (self-carved) is at the upper left margin and the artist's pencil-signature is at the lower right margin. Paper size: 15 3/4" x 10 5/8" (image: 14 1/2" x 9 1/2"). Very good overall condition with full margins and clean back. Fading is evident and there is a faint thin mat line extending around the margin.

Japanese shin hanga woodblock print titled "Kagurazaka Dori" (Kagurakaza Street after a Night Rain) from the series "Twelve Scenes of Tokyo" by Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) dated Showa 4 (1929)...

Chikanobu Yoshu (Toyohara) (1838-1912)
Tea Ceremony and Flower Arrangement
From the series, Illustration of Ladies' Etiquette.
Date: 1893.
Size: Triptych. 27.5 x 14 inches.
Publisher: Higuchi Gintaro.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Soiling. Stain at top. Lower right margin edge chip.

Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858)
Clear Weather after Snow at Nihonbashi Bridge
Series: Famous Places in the Eastern Capital
Date: 1910 (A posthumous edition).
Size: 9.75 x 4.75 inches.
Publisher: Matsumoto.
"Bridges and Old Castles" is the title in the Matsumoto catalog.
Condition: Toning and corner chip.
Note: We could not find another example of this edition.

Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858)
Autumn Moon on the Tama River
Series: Eight Views in the Environs of Edo
Size: Oban. 15 x 10 inches.
Date: 1838. This posthumous edition is early 20th century.
The moon shines with mica.
This is the Taihaido Kaihan version - the first form of this print, which features three poems.
Publisher: Not known.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Creasing visible side light. Left margin toned.

Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858)
Sudden Shower Over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake
Series: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Size: Oban. 14.5 x 9.75 inches.
Date: 1856-58. This posthumous edition is early 20th century.
Publisher: Adachi (Seal at back right margin).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858)
Shono
Series: Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido
Size: Oban. 15 x 9.75 inches.
Date: 1833-34. This posthumous edition is pre-1923.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Pre-earthquake 6mm seal at lower left of image area.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent with tone at upper left margin.
Note: Here the famous design is published by the great Watanabe Shozaburo.

Hiroshige Ando (1797-1858)
The Entwined Camphor Trees at Azuma Shrine
Series: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Size: 14.5 x 9.75 inches.
Date: 1856. This posthumous edition is early 20th century.
Publisher: Kokkeido. (Seal at lower left margin).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. On thick paper.
Note: A beautiful edition by a well-known publisher.