Browsing Category

Japanese Antiques

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.

 

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.

Superb Japanese Edo Era Signed Samurai Tsuba

Superb Japanese Edo Era Signed Samurai Tsuba
Photo Credit: matsu-kaze-japan

Superb Japanese Edo Era Signed Samurai Tsuba

Buy It Now Price: $550 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a stunningly executed example of a Japanese tsuba, or samurai sword guard.  It is from the Edo period, before 1868, when the Tokugawa shogunate, dominated by the samurai class, still ruled Japan.

-The piece is substantial, measuring 68 mm (2.68 inches) long by 60.5 mm (2.38 inches) wide by 7.5 mm (0.30 inches) thick.

-The tsuba, featuring an exquisitely crafted scene of a wild goose in nature, is made of brass, shakudo and silver.  Shakudo is a uniquely Japanese alloy, typically composed of 93% to 97% copper and 3% to 7% gold.  It results in a metal that has an alluring, satiny black finish.

-This Edo era tsuba is prominently signed by the artist, “Jiseitei Sadatsune”.  The traditional craftsmen who produced these works of art did not hesitate to sign particularly fine examples of their craft.  A signed tsuba is an indicator of quality, and will command a higher price than a similar, but unsigned, tsuba.

-This breathtaking tsuba is in excellent condition, especially considering it might be over 200 years old.

-The item is sold by an experienced Japanese antiques dealer, and ship straight from Tokyo, Japan.

-The quality of this tsuba is simply breathtaking.  The level of naturalistic detail coupled with the skillful use of multi-colored alloys is consistent with the finest Japanese tsuba work from this period.  Honestly, the asking price of only $550 seems a bit low to me.

 

Cons:

-Earlier in Japanese history, during the Warring States period, tsuba were fully functional battle gear.  However, after the consolidation of all political power by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, peace reigned.  Therefore, tsuba became strictly ceremonial items.  Daimyo (lords) and samurai then commissioned lavishly decorated tsuba to advertise their high social status.  So this tsuba specimen would almost certainly not have been involved in any battles or duels.

-There is really very little negative to say about this antique samurai tsuba.  The price is attractive, the design is magnificently executed and it is signed.  I suppose you could argue that it wasn’t crafted by a renowned tsuba artist, but that is a fairly weak criticism.

Antique Japanese Edo Era Wooden Netsuke from the 18th or 19th Century

Antique Japanese Edo Era Wooden Netsuke from the 18th or 19th Century
Photo Credit: matsu-kaze.japan

Antique Japanese Edo Era Wooden Netsuke from the 18th or 19th Century

Buy It Now Price: $360 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is an antique Japanese Netsuke carving from the Edo era – the 18th or 19th century period when samurai under the command of the Tokugawa Shogunate still ruled Japan.

-This specimen measures 29 mm (1.14 inches) tall by 51 mm wide (2.01 inches).

-In Edo era Japan, everyone – even samurai – wore kimonos.  Netsuke were functional wardrobe accessories used to secure a traveler’s purse to his kimono sash.

-Although anachronistic for their original use, Netsuke are avidly collected today as some of the finest objets d’art ever created.  They are truly masterpieces of miniature sculpture.

-This particular netsuke exquisitely depicts a small cluster of mushrooms.  Edo era Japanese craftsmen often pursued naturalistic themes when carving netsuke.  This netsuke, with its organic lines and meticulous attention to detail, is a superb example.

-Netsuke were hand carved from a variety of interesting materials such as ivory, wood, boar tusk, horn, bone and metal.  This particular netsuke is crafted from wood – possibly boxwood, one of the finest carving woods known.

-The even, undisturbed dark patina on the wood is completely consistent with an object that is well over a century old.

-The $360 asking price is very reasonable considering that this netsuke is both well executed and obviously original.  It is sold by an experienced Japanese antique dealer and ships straight from Tokyo.

 

Cons:

-Although not visible in the photo, this netsuke has a small age crack on the back, caused by the wood shrinking with extreme age.  This minor defect is not unusual among wooden items more than 100 years old and does not impact pricing significantly.

-While not common, netsuke were sometimes signed by their creators.  This netsuke, although very desirable already, would be even more so if it had been signed.

Very Rare Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl Japanese 18-19th C Samurai Antique Tsuba

Very Rare Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl Japanese 18-19th C Samurai Antique Tsuba
Photo Credit: matsu-kaze-japan

Very Rare Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl Japanese 18-19th C Samurai Antique Tsuba

Buy It Now Price: $650 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a Japanese tsuba from the 18th or 19th century during the Edo period.  A tsuba is the guard of a samurai sword, either the infamous Japanese long-sword – the katana – or the less well known and shorter Wakizashi.

-During the Warring States period (from 1467 CE to 1603 CE) and earlier, tsuba were usually strictly utilitarian pieces.  However, starting in the Edo period in the 17th century, tsuba became works of art, meant to display a samurai’s noble heritage and high social status.

-This tsuba measures 69 mm (2.72 inches) by 66 mm (2.60 inches) by 5 mm (0.20 inches) thick.

-The main material used is brass.  However, the piece is also accented with copper, inlaid mother-of-pearl and Shakudo.  Shakudo is an alloy unique to Japanese metalworking that is composed of 3% to 7% gold with the remainder being copper.  Shakudo is renowned for its subtly dark, velvety-black patina.

-This specimen shows a beautifully naturalistic heron wading among stylized reeds, all rendered in glorious high relief.  Regardless of its age, Japanese art – like the tsuba pictured above – often displays a modern simplicity that most people find very attractive.

-This is a remarkably alluring work of art.  The Japanese are esteemed for their metalworking and this tsuba is no exception; it is absolutely exquisite.  $650 is a fair price for such a magnificently crafted piece.

 

Cons:

-Mother-of-pearl is a notoriously fragile substance that tends to chip and crack with age.  Unless the piece is handled with great care, it is possible that the mother-of-pearl inset will eventually become damaged with time.

-Because this tsuba is made of brass and other soft alloys, it is apparent that it is a show piece, originally meant to impress other samurai and casual observers alike.  Therefore, it is improbable that this specimen was ever used in a real samurai sword fight.  This may or may not be a con, depending on what kind of tsuba collection you are looking to build as a connoisseur.