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Japanese Woodcut Print Titled “Bamboo in Early Summer”

Japanese Shin Hanga Woodcut Print - "Bamboo in Early Summer"
Photo Credit: Edokura-Antiques-and-Arts

Japanese Shin Hanga Woodcut Print Titled "Bamboo in Early Summer"

Buy It Now Price: $119 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a wonderful vintage Japanese Shin Hanga woodcut print by the artist Shiro Kasamatsu titled "Bamboo in Early Summer".

-It is a large, oban-sized woodblock print, measuring 16 inches (40.6 cm) by 10.75 inches (27.3 cm).

-Shin hanga was an early to mid 20th century Japanese print movement that combined traditional Japanese themes with groundbreaking Western artistic understanding of light and perspective.  It was an export-oriented artistic movement that was wildly popular in the West in the period between World War I and World War II.  Even today, shin hanga prints possess an attractive, unmistakably modern quality.

-Shiro Kasamatsu (born 1898; died 1991) was a renowned and prolific Japanese printmaker.  He became an artist's apprentice in 1911 and began printmaking in 1919.  He embraced the popular Shin Hanga style early in his career, but switched over to the naïve, self-published Sosaku Hanga style starting in the 1950s.

-This specimen of "Bamboo in Early Summer" is in very good condition, with full margins and no apparent creases, foxing or stains.

-The reverse of this woodblock print has a little ink bleed-through.  This characteristic proves the piece is a genuine woodblock print produced in the traditional way and not a reproduction created via a modern printing technique.

-Bamboo in Early Summer is an atmospheric and evocative work that showcases some of the best attributes of the Japanese Shin Hanga style as executed by Shiro Kasamatsu.  I feel that the buy it now price of $119 is very reasonable and creates the possibility of future price appreciation.

 

Other Vintage Japanese Woodcut Prints

Cons:

-Although "Bamboo in Early Summer" was first printed in 1954, this example is a Heisei era (later) reprint from the 1990s.  While not an original, first edition print, Heisei reprints employed the original woodblock carvings and traditional printing techniques.  However, an original example of this print would be far more valuable than a reprint.

-Some experts in Japanese woodblock prints do not think that reprints will appreciate in value in the future.  I disagree, as there are only a limited number of reprints that can be made from a set of woodblock carvings before they are completely worn out.  Reprints using recarved woodblocks are another story, and should be avoided for anything other than decorative purposes.

Medieval Woodcut Print from Johannes Grüninger’s 1502 Edition of the Aeneid

Medieval Woodcut Print from Johannes Grüninger's 1502 Edition of the Aeneid
Photo Credit: danielgoodantiquarianbooks

Medieval Woodcut Print from Johannes Grüninger's 1502 Edition of the Aeneid

Buy It Now Price: $540 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This magnificently illustrated medieval woodcut leaf was created by the renowned German printer Johannes Grüninger in Strasbourg in 1502 AD.  It is from the classic Latin epic poem, the Aeneid, and depicts a scene from Book 6 when the hero Aeneas journeys to the underworld.

-This leaf measures 11.7 inches (29.7 cm) long by 7.7 inches (19.6 cm) wide.  This is large for a medieval manuscript leaf and adds to its desirability.

-The illustration is sizable, occupying about 3/4 of the leaf's area.  Many medieval woodcut illustrations only cover 1/2 or less of a printed page, rendering them less desirable.

-The illustration features a famous theme from Classical mythology, a hero being transported across the River Styx by the underworld ferryman Charon.

-While the specific artist who created this stunning woodcut illustration is unknown, scholars have named him the "Late Master of the Grüninger Workshop".

-This medieval woodcut illustration has a style that is both whimsical and disturbingly edgy at the same time.  Aficionados of medieval art will immediately recognize the similarities between this woodcut print and works by the contemporary Northern Renaissance painter Hieronymus Bosch.

-Although over 500 years old, this weird and wonderful medieval woodcut print has a distinctly modern "vibe" to it.  The buy it now price of $540 is fair considering the superb quality of the work.

 

Other Medieval Woodcut Prints

Cons:

-The leaf has a couple minor spots of foxing and some slight discoloration.  However, these are not severe and are restricted to the outer margins of the leaf, leaving the illustration itself unblemished.

-$540 is a "full" price for this medieval woodcut leaf.  The seller knows how good the piece is and has priced it accordingly.

-Although printed over 500 years ago, this 1502 edition of the Aeneid is considered post-incunable by book collectors.  Earlier, incunable works from before the year 1500 are generally more desirable.  This only has a very minor impact on the leaf's value, though.

Vintage Japanese Shin Hanga Woodblock Print by Toshi Yoshida – Wisteria at Ushijima

Vintage Japanese Shin Hanga Woodblock Print by Toshi Yoshida - Wisteria at Ushijima
Photo Credit: Edokura-Antiques-and-Arts

Vintage Japanese Shin Hanga Woodblock Print by Toshi Yoshida - Wisteria at Ushijima

Buy It Now Price: $269 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a vintage Japanese shin hanga woodblock print, titled "Wisteria at Ushijima" by renowned 20th century artist Toshi Yoshida.

-This woodblock print is in the larger "oban" print format and measures 16 inches (40.6 cm) wide by 11.1 inches (28.2 cm) tall.

-Shin hanga was an early to mid 20th century Japanese print movement that combined traditional Japanese themes with groundbreaking Western artistic understanding of light and perspective.  It was an export-oriented artistic movement that was wildly popular in the West in the period between World War I and World War II.  Even today, shin hanga prints possess an attractive, unmistakably modern quality.

-Toshi Yoshida, whose father, Hiroshi Yoshida, was also a noted Japanese artist, created the evocative Wisteria at Ushijima woodblock print in 1953.

-The seller includes a photo of the back of the work, which shows ink bleed-through from the front.  This proves the work is a traditional woodblock print and not a reproduction using modern printing methods.

-The work appears to be in good condition, with its margins fully intact and no evidence of tears or stains.

-I feel that the dramatic color contrasts, subtle play of light and shadow and wonderfully organic forms put this woodblock print near the pinnacle of the shin hanga art style.  Therefore, even though it is a reprint, I consider the asking price of $269 to be fair.

 

Other Vintage Japanese Shin Hanga Woodcut Prints

Cons:

-This example of Wisteria at Ushijima is not an original 1953 print.  Instead, it is a later reprint by Shinikichi Numabe, a skilled, modern Japanese printer known for using high quality materials.

-Original Japanese woodblock prints are always worth more than later editions made during the life of the artist.  And these "life of the artist" reprints are always worth more than more recent, posthumous, reprints.  It should be assumed that this example falls into the "posthumous" reprint bucket.

-Some shin hanga dealers and collectors do not believe that reprints are investible.  I disagree, although I believe that original editions will always be (substantially) more valuable.  In any case, a woodblock print is only good for an estimated 2,000 to 10,000 impressions before it wears out.  This places a hard upper limit on the number of possible reprints, provided the woodblocks are not re-carved.

Medieval French Illuminated Manuscript Leaf, Circa 1300 AD

Medieval French Illuminated Manuscript Leaf, Circa 1300 AD
Photo Credit: Antik-Bendt

Medieval French Illuminated Manuscript Leaf, Circa 1300 AD

Buy It Now Price: $399 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a charming medieval illuminated manuscript leaf created in Northern France around 1300 AD.  It was originally part of a Breviary - a prayer book used by monks to direct their daily worship.

-It measures 5.43 inches (13.8 cm) tall by 3.98 inches (10.1 cm) wide and is made from parchment, or dried animal skin.

-The dark brown text, interspersed with red text, is written in Latin, the lingua franca of medieval Europe.  Medieval Latin was the spoken and written language of Europe's elites during the period.  Nobles, clergy, lawyers, architects and other intellectuals all communicated via Latin in medieval times.

-Four initials on each side of the page are richly illuminated in blue, red and gold.  They also employ an illumination technique called "fleuronne" which is French for "floral".  This decoration consists of stylized plants, flowers or vines emanating from the illuminated initials.  The subtle use of vine-themed fleuronne is particularly exquisite on this French illuminated manuscript.

-This piece is in good condition, with only a little light foxing (brown age spots) and a few pinholes.  Medieval illuminated documents are often found in much worse shape.

-This medieval French illuminated manuscript leaf is over 700 years old!  Most illuminated leaves on the market are much later, from the 15th or early 16th centuries.  It is unusual to find a fine, early specimen, especially at the low price of only $399.

 

Other Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

Cons:

-Although the text initials are superbly decorated, the illuminated leaf lacks any illustrations.  Illustrations are the most desirable kind of decoration possible in a medieval illuminated manuscript.  However, if the leaf did contain illustrations, the price would probably be an order of magnitude higher.

-This leaf, at less than 6 inches by 4 inches, is small by modern standards.  However, this was a rather standard book size during the medieval period.  Nevertheless, a larger illuminated manuscript leaf is more desirable than a smaller one, and there are larger examples out there.