Ohno Shop in Snow by Katsuyuki Nishijima. Original Japanese woodblock print. Pencil numbered 89/500, titled and signed by artist in bottom margin. Strong texture and ink bleedthrough on fine Japanese washi. Oban size print measures 12.5 x 17.2 inches. Fine condition, color and impression.
Antique Hiroshige II Japanese Woodblock Edo Enoshima Sagami Bay circa 1860 Frame. Original Antique Hiroshige II Japanese Woodblock Enoshima Beach Sagami Bay circa 1860, Framed and matted, Woodblock Print Framed Edo Era, ukiyo-e. This is a lovely antique original print by Utagawa Hiroshige II of a man seated in on an ox, with a peasant and the beach and Sagani bay with waves in the background. 1 Enoshima Seen from the Beach – Beach of Sagami Bay. 2 Elegantly dressed man sitting on black ox, watching running woman in kimono barefoot with pattern of shells; on beach with rough surf; Enoshima Island on achtergrond. 3 Prince Genji riding an oxen being led by an abalone diver along the sea shore with Endoshima Island in the distance. Hiroshige II (Utagawa Hiroshige, 1826 – 17 September 1869) was a Japanese designer of ukiyo-e art. He inherited the name Hiroshige II following the death in 1858 of his master Hiroshige, whose daughter he married. In 1865 he moved from Edo to Yokohama after dissolving his marriage and began using the name Kisai Rissho. His work so resembles that of his master that scholars have often confused them. Condition: Very good condition. Colors are fresh, mild fading and rubbing commensurate with age and use. There is a small water? Stain at the top joining area between the tow sheets. Framed under acrylic with black and gold wood frame. Please note that the acrylic is very reflective and the photos show some shadows due to this. Measurements: Frame: 23 1/4 x 28 1/2 x 1 Work: 14 x 19 1/2. Weight: 6 lbs 13 oz. Unless described as being new, the items for sale are vintage or used and it may show evidence of wear. The description refers to the overall condition and details. We try to describe the items to the best of our ability. All listings are described as to the best of my knowledge, through careful research and price and description comparison. With tracking and careful, sturdy packing, we try to recycle when possible. We welcome all reasonable offers! We appreciate your business! Please check out my other items. Thank you for looking and good luck!
An original early Bertha Lum woodblock, lovely though faded. The image is Junks on the Inland Sea from 1908, just a few years after she began to learn the woodblock technique in Japan. This very rare print was created in soft colors to begin with, now faded to a ghostlike beauty. Junks on the Inland Sea. STYLE: Japonisme, Arts and Crafts. PERIOD: Arts and Crafts. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES: Ink on paper, float-mounted and framed under glass. SIGNATURE: “Bertha Lum” lower center. Print is faded, slightly wrinkled, otherwise good. DIMENSIONS: 6 3/8″ by 11 3/8″ framed to 10″ by 15 3/4″. Bertha Boynton Lum (1869 – 1954) was an American artist known for helping popularize the Japanese and Chinese woodblock print outside of Asia. In May 1869, Lum was born as Bertha Boynton Bull in Tipton, Iowa. Lum’s father was Joseph W. Both of Lum’s parents were amateur artists. Lum had a sister and two brothers, Clara, Carlton, and Emerson. In 1890 she lived in Duluth and listed her occupation as artist. She enrolled in the design department of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1895. A few years later she studied stained glass with Anne Weston and attended the Frank Holme School of Illustration. From November 1901 to March 1902, she studied figure drawing at the Art Institute of Chicago and was influenced by the Japanese techniques of Arthur Wesley Dow in his book Composition, which was published in 1899. Lum married Burt F. Lum, a corporate lawyer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1903. They spent their seven-week honeymoon in Japan, where she searched for a print maker who could teach her the traditional ukiyo-e method. Toward the end of her stay in Japan, she found a shop that reproduced old prints. On January 23, 1907, she went to Japan for a 14-week stay. Lum worked with Bonkutsu for two months. After she learned how to cut blocks, Bonkutsu introduced her to the printer Nishimura Kamakichi, with whom she worked for another four weeks. For three years in the U. Lum cut blocks and colored and printed her work herself. The Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston named Lum a master craftsman in 1908. After returning to Japan in 1911 for six months, she began to hire cutters and printers who worked in her winter home in Tokyo. In 1912 Lum was the only female artist to exhibit at the Tokyo International Exhibition. She was awarded a silver medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition for her color woodcuts. Between 1915 and 1919 she made two more trips to Japan and made an extensive number of prints. She also exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1920 and at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Society of Etchers, as well as the New York Public Library. Her first illustrated book, Gods, Goblins, and Ghosts, based on her travels in Japan, was published in 1922. The same year, she moved to China and began learning Chinese woodcut methods. She made her last known print in 1935; her print of the god Daïkoku was published in The Peking Chronicle in December 1937. In 1936 she published Gangplanks to the East, a collection of Asian folk tales and stories of her travels. She had her last exhibition in 1941. Her works are held at the Library of Congress, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, and in private collections. Lum was a member of the Asiatic Society of Japan, California Society of Etchers (now California Society of Printmakers), and PrintMakers Society of California. Lum lived in California (San Francisco and Hollywood) from 1917 until 1922 when she moved to Peking, China. For the next thirty years she divided her time between California, China, and Japan. She divorced Burt Lum in the 1920s. Her younger daughter Eleanor “Peter” Lum married the diplomat Sir Colin Tradescant Crowe and became an author. In 1936 her elder daughter Catherine married Antonio Riva, an Italian pilot during World War I who was executed in 1951 in Beijing for an alleged plot to assassinate Mao Zedong. Lum had been staying with Catherine at the time of Riva’s arrest and was herself placed under house arrest. In 1953 Lum left China and moved with Catherine to Genoa, Italy. She died in Genoa, Italy in February 1954. P e n c i l p o i n t e r >. Usually available; please inquire. Please contact me with any questions.
TOYOTA HOKKEI (1780 – 1850) Clam Gathering at Shiba-u Surinomo Woodblock Print 1821 UKIYO-E ORIGINAL! UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED TO BE AUTHENTIC. This woodblock print came from the estate of a family member. It had been in our family for quite some time. After doing some significant research into antique Japanese woodblocks, and into this artist in particular, I was able to acquire some very useful information. They are known as Surinomo woodblocks and were commissioned by the poetry clubs of the elite. This one was commissioned by the Poets club Fundarike. These prints fall into the category of ukiyo-e prints; woodblock prints that depict the pleasures of everyday life, a notion that was in line with the Buddhist thinking that a spiritual life should take precedence over a more material one. The script above the print contains three short poems. Right: Poem by Asahi Ujukata: Haru no hi no / nakagi mo kata ni / wasurete wa / kaeru shihonaku / miyuru otome wa. On a day in spring, don’t forget yourself and stay too long on the beach and find no beach for return like these searching maidens. Middle: Poem by Asahi Machiuo: Shiohigata / chirasujigai ya / kaioke no / Futamigaura ni / asobu taoyame. Girls amuse themselves by the Bay of Double Views, the tidal basin littered with seashells and with shell baskets. Left: Poem by Asahi Sashiyasu: Taoyame no / hirou hoshigata wa / ustukushiki / hamagurizuma mo / miyuru Shibaura. How lovely the beach where the maidens brave the tide and gather seashells – Shibaura, a sight to see, with all its clams and pretty girls. They were only distributed to members of the poetry clubs. Since this was the case, these private printings were made in very small numbers. This explains why surinomo prints are so rare in the market today. The prints were made using the finest printing techniques which included embossing (which this print does have), burnishing, and special pigments. During the 1890′s, some Japanese printers reprinted some of the most popular designs by some of the famous artists like Hokkei. These Meiji printings were also made with a high degree of skill and quality. What differentiates the reprints from the originals are a few significant details. The originals were made using a thicker, more toned native paper. The paper used on the reprints is whiter. Also, in the reprints, the colors were slightly modified, and sometimes even changed completely from the originals. The most obvious change was the fact that additional color was added, usually to the embossed areas that were originally free of color. In this reprint, color was added to the background mountains, the ocean waves, and the clouds. I have attached a photo of this reprint for comparison purposes only. It is marked “NOT FOR SALE”. It can also be seen that the pigments on the reprint have been made using more modern, deeper inks. The dimensions are 7″ x 8.25″. This print is unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic in every way. From what I understand, these woodblock prints have done very well in the marketplace over the years, and are expected to continue to appreciate. This one is an original by one of the most famous surinomo artists. It qualifies as a blue chip piece of Japanese artwork. Our family has enjoyed it over the years, now it’s your turn to add it your family’s holdings of heirloom artwork. It will make for an unforgettable Holiday gift. Don’t miss it! This is a private listing in order to protect your privacy.
Kyosai Hyakki Gadan’Pictures of One Hundred Demons. Sometimes translated as’Night Parade of One Hundred Demons’, this Japanese orihon is a feast for the eyes. First published in 1890 (the year after Kyosai’s death), and in a second edition in 1895. Both editions are very scarce, especially so in good condition. When these appear at market, they are usually part of a complete series still in the orihon style of codex-with an accordion-folded structure. See my store for additional prints from the series. Center crease from original publication barely visible. The print has been mounted on a sheet of japan paper, adhered at either edge. In excellent condition with good colors, especially for age. Sheet: 7 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches.
Original rare early 19th century woodblock print by Utagawa Toyokuni I, of the actor Iwai Hanshiro V in a female role holding a lantern. Published by Shimizu between 1807 – 1808. “Oban Tate-E” is a common print format for Japanese woodblock prints from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The term is made up of three parts. Oban: The most common size for Japanese woodblock prints, measuring roughly 10 inches by 15 inches. Tate: The Japanese word for an image in portrait format. Condition: Print is in fair condition overall considering age. Honest wear and mild loss of detail in some areas, including the face and center of print. Frame has imperfections and pieces missing / damage in almost every corner and on the top center (please see all photos). Total Dimensions: 12.75″ x 16.5625″ x 0.5. Art Dimensions: 9.875″ x 13.625″.
