r/ukiyoe

Two separate Japanese woodblock prints come together to create this dramatic diptych from Kunisada’s Flowers of Edo (Edo no Hana) series.

The prints depict kabuki actors Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Yokoyama no Yosaburō and Nakamura Tsuruzō I as “Yasu the Bat.” Between them, evening fireworks explode above the famous Ryōgoku Bridge in Edo.

Kunisada designed the dramatic actor portraits, while Hiroshige II created the landscape — a wonderful example of the collaborative nature of ukiyo-e.

The Flowers of Edo series combined famous kabuki actors, districts of Edo, firefighting brigades, and local landmarks into one of the more unusual print series of the late Edo period.

#JapaneseWoodblockPrints #Kunisada #Hiroshige #Ukiyoe #Kabuki #JapaneseArt #EdoPeriod

Estate sale from an elderly woman with no family remaining. The back of the peeling black lacquer frame shows a local frame shop from the 50s based on typography and the location being long gone (1960 tsunami removed the waterfront Japanese community)

I can’t read the artist signature, but the lady holding a fan with a clan symbol makes me wonder if it’s not a specific person… fan service? Jokes aside it’s a survivor piece from a place where most of the Japanese items were destroyed during WW2 or lost in subsequent natural disasters. More interested in history rather than value, thanks!

Hey all,

Recently I have purchased an intriguing print from a local yard sale. I believe it to be 1800s, though I am not sure. It feels indented around the black lines and the details which leads me to think it’s a wood block production or similar.

I really know nothing about this or this kind of work, I would sincerely appreciate if anyone could tell me about it; What is it, artist, how old is it? what is it worth? Etc.

Thank you very much! Any information you can provide will be very helpful. I have attached pictures, including one with the print over a lightbulb.

An interesting piece I acquired back in June. Ito Takashi wasn’t on my radar til about a year ago, but quickly became a favorite.

5 prints from the series Tōkyō Meisho Zu (東京名所図) — Famous Views of Tokyo, popularly known for kōsen-ga (光線画) or light-ray pictures. The atmospheric light effects pioneered here were carried directly into the twentieth century by his pupils, notably Tsuchiya Kōitsu, and provided the essential technical and aesthetic foundation on which the Shin Hanga landscape masters — above all Kawase Hasui — built.

These are postcard sized woodblock prints i acquired in a lot together with a few others. Some of the others where dated on the attached new years greeting card throughout the 1950s.
These three I couldn’t identify, yet. If you know the artist or can identify the seal, help would be highly appreciated.

I made a post last year about this Hokusai - Waterwheel at Onden that I picked up at an estate sale. It’s an unusual variant, and at the time I wasn’t sure whether the print was genuine, so I thought I’d post an update now that I’ve had it professionally conserved

Similar ‘sunset’ Variant: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/56131

Similar ‘sunset’ Variant: https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/anime-starts-here-japanese-subculture-reimagines-tradition/katsushika-hokusai-1760-1849-24/292423

The print had previously been framed with acidic mounting materials, which had caused yellowing and discolouration of the paper, particularly in the lighter areas. The verso was also covered with several layers of old backing material

The first photos show the print before conservation and the old backing on the verso. The next photos show the print after the treatment, followed by the finished result in its new frame. Although not all of the old backing could be removed due to the adhesive, most of the (many!) layers were successfully removed, and the remaining material was reduced as much as possible without risking the print

I’m really pleased with how it turned out and for anyone who commented on the original post, thanks for the opinions - thought you’d appreciate seeing how it ended up

This has been in my family for decades. Any tips on the artist or age (or location depicted)?

AI says the colorful one with horses is 133 years old. Does anyone have anymore info to share or know what they’re worth? Any information on where to get a professional appraisal would be appreciated.

日露 旅順口大海戰之圖

Finally my first Baiko print. I was looking for these 2 Tokaido prints for quite some time. The print in the upper right corner was a gift by the owner of the shop. I forgot to link the photo in my last post haha

Picked these up to finally start my collection. No idea on age or anything but they were a bargain on Facebook 😅

The last picture is a scan I took with my phone.

This elegant print by the artist Utagawa Kunisada depicts the kabuki actor Nakamura Shikan IV in the role of Heitarō Yoshikado. It comes from an 1859 series called Mirrors for Collage Pictures in the Modern Style.

Kunisada created several series featuring actors reflected in mirrors, and I think they're among his most inventive designs. Here, the actor's portrait appears inside a beautifully lacquered black, oval mirror, the edges of the mirror are wrapped in patterned fabric. In the background we see delicate confetti-like decoration and a poem written by the actor himself.

The craftsmanship is wonderful. Look closely and you'll notice the incredibly fine lines in the hair and the embossing on the white collar.

The orange pigment in this design oxidises easily, and in most surviving impressions it has darkened, changing how the flames read. Pristine examples are hard to find.