About the artist…

Ito Yuhan (1882-1951) was a Shin hanga artist who designed a limited series of woodblock prints in the 1930s for publisher Yosaku Nishinomiya. Yuhan was a highly unique artist with a distinctive style exemplified by his prints where the key-block was omitted during printing. The result is that the sharp, black outlines present in other Shin hanga designs are missing. The technique included printing in soft tones and many color gradients, which gives the print a watercolor-like appearance. The print offered is one of the finest examples of Yuhan’s technique.

About the print

Several characteristics date the print to early mid-edition period, also known as second generation, which ranges from the late 1930s to approximately the late 1950s. This determination is supported by information published by Ukiyoe Gallery, which details how Dr. Andreas Grund, after hearing in late-2003/04 that Nishinomiya publisher was still producing prints, managed to locate the 72-year-old son of Yosaku Nishinomiya (1896-1986). Subsequent discussions revealed the publisher was still printing certain Yuhan images through at least late 1996, and in a more limited way into the 2000s. These later prints, described by Ukiyoe Gallery as “later edition” or third generation, are easily recognizable for a lighter colored paper and extra-wide margins on the top and left sides—see photos. The fact that they are the most commonly encountered version today suggests they were produced in significant numbers. Second generation prints, like the example offered, are much less common. They are characterized by a narrow margin, more typical of Japanese woodblock prints from the period, where the publisher’s seal of Yosaku Nishinomiya is applied. The paper used for mid-edition prints has a mellower, aged color.

Another important factor is the “MADE IN JAPAN” stamp verso, which is rarely seen on Yuhan prints. As explained in an article on the Lavenberg Collection website, the stamp originated with the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act that required country-of-origin markings on imported goods. Use of the stamp ended in 1939 when imports of Japanese products largely ceased. The Nippon Prints website adds that “…there are copies of Ito Yuhan’s prints with the famous “MADE IN JAPAN” stamp on the back. Even if such a stamp does not provide an absolute guarantee that the print was created in the 1930s, it increases the likelihood a lot as the stamp is disproportionately found on prints from around the 1930s.”

One final clue comes from the dust cover on the print’s original frame, on which two labels were applied. One label indicates the print was originally sold by Kabutoya Galleries, formerly of San Francisco. Records state the gallery ended business activities in the early 1990s after nearly 50 years of operations. Importantly, the gallery was regarded as having one of the finest collections of Japanese prints in the country, thus being more likely to offer an early, quality print by Yuhan.

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