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.
