HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Lake Kawaguchi. c.1941

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Publisher

Watanabe Shôzaburô. F Seal (1934-1941)

oban tate-e, 26.0 cm × 38.0 cm

Superb impression with strong visible woodgrain. Excellent colour. Very faint remnants of 'H.Kawase' in pen, lower right, otherwise very good condition.

Mount Fuji seen from Oishi park on Lake Kawaguchi, the second largest of the "Five Fuji Lakes". The view is dominated by five maize plants (zea mays), a design that recalls Hiroshige's Iris at Horikiri from One-hundred Views of Edo. A seldom seen design. Watanabe D seal 1931-1941, signed and sealed Hasui.

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HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Kinosaki, Tajima. 1924.

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Series

Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series.

Publisher

Shōzaburō Watanabe.

ōban yoko-e, 39.0 cm × 26.1 cm

Excellent early impression with fine gradation on the mountain. Toned au verso, otherwise very good condition.

A lone woman with a yellow parasol walks by the canal at night. The shapes of the mountain and the electric power lines are barely discernible in the heavy downpour. A nocturnal rain scene of sombre black and grey, the only colour accents are the yellow lights coming from the ryokan inns that line the street and the blue from the canal. One of Hasui's masterworks. Signed Hasui with Kawase Seal. Watanabe A seal (1924-30) lower right margin. Tabi miyage daisanshū  Third series of Travels followed by work title, Tajima Kinosaki sand Taisho jusannen saku (work of 1924) all in the left margin.

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HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Lakeside Shower at Matsue. 1932.

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Publisher

Watanabe Shôzaburô. C Seal.

oban yoko-e, 39.2 cm × 26.3 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition.

A fisherman hurries for shelter under a large deciduous tree, as rain breaks out on the shore of Lake Shinji-ko. The low grey clouds are typical on the coast of Japanese lakes. The sheets of rain are created using the baren, a bamboo pad used in the print-making process to apply colour.

Signed Hasui, seal Kawase. C Watanabe 'sausage' seal in the right margin.

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HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Daibutsuden in Nara. 1950.

Category

Japanese | Landscape

Publisher

Watanabe Shozaburo. Seal: Hasui

oban tate-e, 26.4 cm × 39.2 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition. One drying hole.

A late shin-hanga landscape from one of the undisputed masters in this field. Unlike his contemporary, the well travelled Hiroshi Yoshida, Hasui chose to depict the beauty of his homeland, with the notable exception of Korea. In this landscape, two women with blue and orange parasols stroll by Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) in the gentle rain. Signed Hasui with seal. Date and work title in the left margin.

£1100

HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Mito, the Swamp of Konuma in Snow. Mito hinuma no yuki. 1947.

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Publisher

Watanabe Shôzaburô. First edition. J Seal.

oban yoko-e, 36.0 cm × 24.0 cm

Very good impression and colour. First state. Tiny drying holes in the top margin, expertly filled. A light tab residue au verso, otherwise very good condition.

Kawase Hasui is a master in the genre of shin-hanga ("new print") landscape. Hi Marsh is silenced by heavy snowfall. The branches of the pine trees are laden with snow under the overcast sky. A solitary figure in a warm straw coat has moored his boat and trudges forward in the blizzard, with a fishing rod over his shoulder. A loner himself, Hasui rarely portrays more than one figure in his prints.

Signed Hasui. 6mm seal lower left. 

Literature: Plate 496. The Complete Woodblocks of Kawase Hasui. Hotei Publishing. IBSN 978-9074822466

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HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Evening Snow at Ishinomaki. 3/1935.

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Series

Collection of scenic views of Japan.

Publisher

Watanabe Shôzaburô. C Seal (1929-1942 'sausage seal')

oban yoko-e, 38.0 cm × 26.0 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition. A pin-sized drying hole top right. Full margins.

Hasui is a master at recreating mood and atmosphere in his landscape designs. The falling snow prints demanded great technical skill on the part of the carver and printer as Hasui noted "In the case of printing we must interact very closely.  A less experienced printer might waste seven or eight trial prints before a successful one is made.  If someone is experienced we can decide on the final print after two or three trials.  It occurs occasionally that despite best efforts, a successful print is still not produced.  This is the hard part of composite art.  It requires telepathic communication.  Unless all parties are completely in tune, the process will not work.  When my mind and the minds of the artisans are in complete agreement, a good work can be generated" Signed Hasui with 'kawase' seal. Sausage seal (1929-1942) right margin. Print title followed by 'showa ju-nen sangatsu saku' to the left.

Reference: Plate 309. The Complete Woodblock Prints of Kawase Hasui. Hotei Publishing. IBSN 978-9074822466.

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Impression.

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HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Panoramic View of the Daisensui Pond. Daisensui no zenkei.

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Series

Mitsubishi Fukagawa bettei.

Publisher

Watanabe Shôzaburô.

Large nagaban yoko-e, 49.0 cm × 19.0 cm

A beautiful impression. Excellent colour and condition.

A panoramic bird-eye view of the Iwasaki estate. Large nagaban format and a rare pre-1923 earthquake design. Signed and sealed Hasui. Watanabe seal 6mm seal lower left (1918-1924).

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HASUI Kawase. (1883-1952)

Snow at Itsukushima. 1932.

Category

Japanese | 20th Century

Publisher

Shōzaburō Watanabe.

ōban yoko-e, 39.6 cm × 27.2 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition.

The torii and stone lantern at Itsukushima Shrine in the Hiroshima prefecture. The printers have used the technique baren-suji to recreate the impression of a snow blizzard by applying pressure to the hard bamboo edge of the circular pad used to apply colour. The swirling lines are evident in the blue sky.

Signed Hasui with Kawase seal. Date inscription in the left margin reads 'shōwa shichinen junigartsu saku', Work of December 1932. Shōzaburō Watanabe sausage seal in the right margin used 1929-1942.

Literature: Plate 287, The Complete Woodblocks of Kawase Hasui. IBSN 978-9074822466

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