Posted by Ellen on July 19, 1999 at 20:22:27:
Can someone give me an idea as to some purchases that I just made? I found five japanese block prints. I did not buy them from a dealer. As a matter of fact, it was a consignment shop and the salesperson did not know anything about them. They are framed in lovely bamboo frames with the most interesting patterned paper and silver leaf backing. Two small wooden catches can be pushed to the side to get into the pieces. There is glass on the front. A red woven string is the hanging device. The vertical "oban" piece is similar to others that I have seen on the net as "Famous Places of the 53 Stations". There are three trees in the picture. One large one is in the center left and looks like a cedar and another in the distance to the left. Another is on the right and has sparse horizontal foliage. There are six people with hats in the foreground rice field and six people (one flying a kite) walking into the distance in the middle ground with a low mountain range. The background is all light to dark sky with two kites flying. There is a reddish cartouche in the upper right and a white square with angled corners. The cartouche in the lower left is light pink with a circle at the top and bottom and a mountain form underneath.
I don't know much at all about this piece except I admire the beauty and the technique. The other four prints are of women. Each women seems to be relaxing. There is basicly one women on each page in very muted colors of grays, purple, ochre, mauve, green and white. The red and black are the strongest colors. The backgrounds are mostly the creme color of the paper. Each print has a different red hanko to the lower left or right and has two black characters above it. All the prints are framed in the same way. I am not an oriental art collector per say. I just recognized these as something special. Each print is in an old paper mat. Can anyone give me some immediate advice from my description? I have only been on the net today trying to find information on this subject. I think I have a small treasure but it would be good to know more.
Thank You,
Ellen