Imao KEINEN (1845-1924)
Click here to view image full size. An original painting, sumi on paper, image size 54 x 19.5 in; 137 x 49.5 cms. A pupil of Umegawa Tokyo and Suzuki Hyakunen. Keinen was an important figure in Kyoto art circles…
Japanese Prints London
Dealing in fine Japanese prints, paintings and books since 1968
Japanese Prints London
Dealing in fine Japanese prints, paintings and books since 1968
Richard Kruml
Ichiunsai KUNIHISA (1832-1891)
Click here to view image full size. An original painting, full colour on paper with the black waistband heavily lacquered, image size 48 x 11 in; 122 x 28 cms. Shows a young beauty carrying a box. She wears an…
Kawamura BUMPO (1779-1821)
Click here to view image full size. I volume complete Bumpo gafu (Sampen), “Album of Drawings by Bumpo” (3rd Series”). Original light grey covers with burnished pattern. Original title slip. Preface 3 pp., with 18 double-page and 32 single-page illustrations…
Hosoda EISHI (1736-1829)
Click here to view image full size. An original painting, sumi and colour on silk, 33.25 x 12 in; 84.5 x 30.5 cms. Shows a parading oiran, a high class courtesan, beneath falling cherry blossom. A parade was held every…
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1864)
Click here to view image full size. An original hanshita-e (preparatory drawing) for a published diptych showing, on the left, the actor Onoe Kikujiro II as Tatsuhime – in reality Yawata, the younger sister of Kotoda. On the right is…
50th Anniversary of dealing – Part 2
In the 70s and 80s I was buying prints by such artists as Hiroshige, Hokusai, and Utamaro in the UK and in France and selling them in Japan. In Japan, I was buying prints by Yoshitoshi and Kuniyoshi. At that…
50th Anniversary of dealing – Part 1
Looking back on 50 years of dealing in Japanese prints, paintings and books I have much to be grateful for. From the first ukiyo-e print that I bought in 1968 to now when I have bought and sold many tens…
Selected Reference Titles
Listed here are selected titles of reference books that I refer to most regularly – this is not an exhaustive list! Asano, Shugo and Clark, Timothy, The Passionate Art of Kitagaway Utamaro, Asahi Shimbun, 1995 Forrer, Matthi and Goncourt,…
Matsumura KEIBUN (1779-1843)
Click here to view image full size. A shijo brush drawing of a seabream and a lumpfish (?). One of Kyoto’s leading artists. Noted for his painting from nature. He studied with his older brother Matsumura Goshun as well as…
Matsumura KEIBUN (1779-1843)
Click here to view image full size. A shijo brush drawing of a white horsehead and an acropomatidae (?). One of Kyoto’s leading artists. Noted for his painting from nature. He studied with his older brother Matsumura Goshun as well…
Matsumura KEIBUN (1779-1843)
Click here to view image full size. A shijo brush drawing of a red seabream. One of Kyoto’s leading artists. Noted for his paintings from nature. He studied with his older brother Matsumura Goshun as well as Maruyama Okyo. Sumi…
Matsumura KEIBUN (1779-1843)
Click here to view image full size. A shijo brush drawing of a gurnard and a snapper (?). One of Kyoto’s leading artists. Noted for his painting from nature. He studied with his older brother Matsumura Goshun as well as…
Yanagawa SHIGENOBU (1787-1833)
Click here to view image full size. An original painting by this artist who was the pupil and then son-in-law of Hokusai. He was given the name Yanagawa (from his residence in the Honjo district of Edo) to distinguish him…
Nishikawa Sukenobu, 1671-1750
Given names: Bunkado; Bunkadô; Fujiwara; Jitokusai; Jitokusō; Magoemon; “Uji” Nishikawa; Nishikawa Nishikawa Sukebê /Sukebê; Nishikawa Sukenobu; Saiō; Sukenobu; Uemon; Ukyô; Ukyō; Yûsuke Sukenobu was “The most accomplished and influential Ukiyo-e painter in Kyoto during the first half…
Maki Bokusen (1736-1824)
Given names: Bokusen; Maki-Nobumitsu Bokusen; Gekkotei; Hokusen; Hokutei; Hyakusai; Maki Shin’ei; Suke-emon; Tokoro; Utamasa. Bokusen was a Nagoya samurai of the local Owari Fief and ukiyo-e painter, printmaker and copperplate etcher. He was a student of Utamaro…
ANONYMOUS (Late 18th century)
Click here to view image full size. An Uki-e, “floating picture” painting showing an interior with a puppet performance taking place. A puppeteer manipulates a female puppet in the centre, behind him two gidayu narrators and a shamisen player. A…
Winter landscapes
Approximately 70% of Japan’s landscape is mountainous. In the past when travel into the mountains was difficult there was a large demand and great curiosity by the public to see those remote snow covered landscapes. Publishers and leading…
Taiso YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. Minamoto no Ushiwakamura battling with Kumasaka Chohan. From the fine set Yoshitoshi mushaburui, “Yoshitoshi’s Courageous Warriors.” Published by Kobayashi, 1883-1886 (this being 1883). Fine impression and colour. Light toning, otherwise fine…
Mori Sosen: One Hundred Monkeys
In the present update is a large painting of one hundred monkeys by Mori Sosen (1747-1824). His life is not well documented but he is known to have studied under the Kano artist Yamamoto Joshunsai (? – 1781)…
Ohara HOSON (Aka SHOSON, KOSON) (1877-1945)
Click here to view image full size. A rooster and weasel. Published by Kawaguchi, c. 1930. The first and only edition. Ex Robert O. Muller collection. Rare. Very fine impression, colour and condition. Signed Hoson. Copyright seal in lower…
Isoda KORYUSAI (1735-1790)
Click here to view image full size. A chuban print showing two unidentified birds eating ripe pomegranites. Koryusai designed a considerable number of kacho prints in this chuban format. They are all rare. J. Hillier in his book A New…
Shibata ZESHIN (1807-1891)
Click here to view image full size. A very large sumi print showing a crow on a branch. A quite exceptional print printed on one sheet of paper, 29.5 x 17.25 in; 75 x 44 cm. A tour de force…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Kurodai, black sea bream (Acantho pagus schlegeli) and akadai, red bream (Pagus tumifrons) together with bamboo shoots and Japanese pepper. Poems by Tomigaki Uchiyasu and Kaoan Hoshi. From the first series of ten…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Shimadai, grouper (probably Chilodactylus zonatus) and ainame, greenling (Hexagrammus otakii) together with red-berried nanten. Poem by Kanshunro Nushibito. Probably the first edition (Kruml 18a). From the second series of fish published by Yamasho…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. The extremely rare first, private printing of Bora, the grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) with camellia and Japanese asparagusado. From a set of 10 prints in folding album form, privately commissioned for a poetry…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Katsuo, bonito (Kasuwonus pelamis). Also called ocean bonito, strip-bellied bonito and striped tuna. Together with three sprigs of cherry (sakura). Poems by Toshinoto Haruki and Toshihiro Machikado. From the first commercial edition of…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. A vertical diptych showing a multitude of cranes flying up from a cresting wave to a large red sun. In fact this diptych was used by an Edo publisher as end sheets to…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. A pheasant on a snow-covered pine. Published by Kawaguchi Shozo, c. 1830s (seal top left). Fine impression and colour. Minimal trimming, otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige hitsu. Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. Four cats, the first sheet of a triptych Tatoe zukushi no uchi, “Proverbs Illustrated by Cats.” Examples being: “Bonito to a cat,” “Coin to a cat,” “Not even a cat would eat it.”…
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. A chuban print showing two house swallows and wisteria. Although Hiroshige is recognised as one of the pre-eminent landscape artists, many of his most beautiful designs are in the uchiwa-e format and kachoga.…