Modern first period Sharaku prints

Sharaku Toshusai was one of Edo’s most enigmatic artists as very little is known about him except that he was commissioned between 1794 and 1795 by the publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō to produce 3 sets of yakusha-e (actor prints).  Literally nothing else is known about his life before or after that. His work is of such high quality though and his caricatures are so beautifully observed that he has remained popular to this day. Many historians have theorised that, as the works were comical and possibly even satirical, that “Sharaku” was a non-de-plume for another more famous artist of the time but no one else seems to fit the bill.  

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sharaku

20th century woodcuts of his prints are usually very fairly priced and it should be possible to get hold of one for £20-£30 but it’s not always obvious when and who produced them because many lack publisher stamps in the margin or on the back. The quality varies a little too and so I felt that it might be worth collating information from known series where the publisher marks are visible so that we can better identify unknown prints. 

My own collection is fairly random and I have just bought famous examples from most of the major publishers. Some of the things to observer though about each print:

  • Size: is the paper proper ōban size (~25 x 38 cm) or from a smaller series? Most will be ōban but you do occasionally come across small ones, presumably made for easier framing.
  • Does the paper show clear vertical stripes? This is a sign of a hand made paper – the stripes appear when the paper is laid across wires.
  • Is the print covered in mica dust? This is a high quality finish.
  • Is the background a mid-grey or a richer, deeper grey-brown?
  • Are the margins clean or smudged? 
  • Do the margins completely enclose the image or are they 50/50? i.e. in some places the dark background runs out to the edge of the paper? 
  • Is there a publisher’s mark either printed in the margin or stamped into the reverse side?

Simple table of publisher marks collected so far

n/a

Oedo Mokuhansha
(大江戸木版社) with carver’s mark below

Seal printed in the margin or stamped onto the reverse

Adachi Hanga
(アダチ版画研究所)
Stamped onto the reverse

Takamizawa Mokuhansha logo
(高見沢木版社)

Used 1930-1980 approx

Below: (auction photo)

Takamizawa: 高見澤忠雄監修, Carver: 彫 菊田幸次郎, Printer: 摺 佐藤勘次郎

Kyōto hanga-in Shinagawa-ban
(京都版画院 品川版)
Kyoto Print Institute Shinagawa Edition, with carver’s mark below

Stamped onto the reverse

Mainichi Shinbunsha

毎日新聞社 

Oedo Mokuhansha (大江戸木版社)

All the ones I have seen have clear vertical lines on the background, wrinkles in the paper, thickly applied ink backgrounds, mica, smudged grey borders and a clear publisher’s mark stamped onto either side.

Active from the 1950s to the present day.

From my own collection (ca. 1950-1970)

Bandō Mitsugorō II as Ishii Genzō in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Sanogawa Ichimatsu III as Hakujin Onayo of Gion in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Sawamura Yodogorō II as Kawatsura Hōgen and Bandō Zenji I as Oni Sadobō in Yoshitsune Senbon-zakura

Matsumoto Yonesaburō I as Kewaizaka no Shōshō, actually Shinobu in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

 

Segawa Kikunojō III as Oshizu, wife of Tanabe Bunzō in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

 

Bandō Hikosaburō III as Sagisaka Sanai in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Sakata Hangorō III as Fujikawa Mizuemon in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Matsumoto Kōshirō IV as San’ya no Sakanaya Gorobē in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

Arashi Ryūzō II as Ishibe Kinkichi the moneylender in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Ōtani Tokuji I as the manservant Sodesuke in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

 

Miscellaneous prints from auction sites

Courtesy of sellers eirzj46817 & moritakaiyo.

Sawamura Sōjūrō III as Ōgishi Kurando in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Ōtani Tokuji I as the manservant Sodesuke in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Segawa Tomisaburō II as Yadorigi, wife of Ōgishi Kurando, and Nakamura Man’yo as the chambermaid Wakakusa in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Ichikawa Omezō I as the manservant Ippei in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Sanogawa Ichimatsu III as Hakujin Onayo of Gion and Ichikawa Tomiemon as Kanisaka Tōma in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Morita Kan’ya VIII as the palanquin-bearer Uguisu no Jirōsaku in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

Ichikawa Yaozō III as Tanabe Bunzō in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Sakata Hangorō III as Fujikawa Mizuemon in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Bandō Mitsugorō II as Ishii Genzō in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Sakata Hangorō III as Fujikawa Mizuemon in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Ichikawa Ebizō I as Takemura Sadanoshin in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Morita Kan’ya VIII as the palanquin-bearer Uguisu no Jirōsaku in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

Kyōto hanga-in Shinagawa-ban (京都版画院品川版)

These tend to have the deepest, thickest backgrounds with very clear vertical stripes, mica, clean borders and the publisher’s stamp is on the reverse.  

http://www.kougei-kyoto.jp/kougei/hanga.html

From my own collection

Ōtani Oniji III as the Manservant Edohei in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Arashi Ryūzō II as Ishibe Kinkichi the moneylender in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

 

Another print found online

Sakata Hangorō III as Fujikawa Mizuemon
in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

 

 

Adachi Hanga (アダチ版画研究所)

Adachi prints tend to have a flatter backgrounds with faint or missing vertical stripes, some mica and clean borders. Publisher’s mark is usually small and stamped onto the reverse. 

アダチ版画研究所 | Adachi Hanga (@adachi.hanga) • Instagram photos and videos

浮世絵・木版画のアダチ版画研究所 (adachi-hanga.com)

From my collection

Onoe Matsusuke I as Matsushita Mikinoshin in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

Prints labelled “解説  吉田暎二” meaning “commentary by Yoshida Teruji”. So probably from the 1957 work by this author.  Described elsewhere as “Yoshida Eiji. SHARAKU. Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppansha, Shôwa 32 [1957], 1,200 copies., Large 4to, 142 pp. of scholarly Japanese text, plus color and b+w reproductions of 159 Sharaku prints”

Possibly prints by Adachi, Hanga Kenkyujo

Also, “Excellent mid-20thC Woodcut Print with clear bleed-through. Printed in Japan by Yuyudo. Under the supervision of Yoshida Teruji, an authority on the artist. Comes with original Tissue guard with explanatory notes in Japanese. These prints were made using all the original traditional woodcut techniques. They are masterful examples of woodblock Art; some of the best re-cuts ever made.”

Osagawa Tsuneyo II as Ippei’s sister Osan in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Editor: 吉田暎二 Yoshida Teruji; Printed by Adachi, Hanga Kenkyujo

Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Date no Yosaku in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Editor: 吉田暎二 Yoshida Teruji; Printed by Adachi, Hanga Kenkyujo

Miscellaneous found online

Nakajima Wadaemon I as Bōdara Chōzaemon and Nakamura Konozō I as Gon of the Kanagawaya in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

Adachi publisher seal in margin or on reverse. Adachi was one of the most respected publishers of the 20th century. Their woodblocks were printed to the highest standards with excellent color and fine detail. Founded in 1925, Adachi also chose interesting and varied subjects for their prints and was the only publisher of many famous old ukiyo-e images. [1940 Adachi Reproduction]

Sanogawa Ichimatsu III as Hakujin Onayo of Gion and Ichikawa Tomiemon as Kanisaka Tōma in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

Adachi Seal on reverse

Seal on reverse – Adachi 

From my collection – 3 sheets from the 1957 book of reproductions by Yoshida Teruji, with prints by Adachi Hanga

Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Date no Yosaku in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Genuine 1794 original

 

Onoe Matsusuke I as Matsushita Mikinoshin in Katakiuchi Noriai-banashi

Genuine 1794 original 

Osagawa Tsuneyo II as Ippei’s sister Osan in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

Genuine 1794 original 

Takamizawa Mokuhansha (高見沢木版社)

These are closest to Adachi type prints, with thin, plain backgrounds with faint vertical lines. 

I don’t own any prints by this rather rare publisher.

A history of the company is here: https://woodblockprintsworld.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/understand-the-chronology-of-enji-takamizawa-family-in-woodblock-printing-replicas-and-fakes/

In summary: Enji Takamizawa (1870-1927) had a business repairing prints but moved to forging old prints. His sons though took on the business after their father died, renamed it “Takamizawa Mokuhansha”, and made reproductions marked by the Takamizawa seal on the reverse. In 1950 they renamed to “Takamizawa Mokuhansha publishing” and the business ran until 1988. 

Iwai Hanshirō IV as the wet nurse Shigenoi in Koi Nyōbō Somewake Tazuna

reprint by the venerable Takamizawa publisher. Takamizawa was known as one of the finest reprint publishers of the 20th century, and produced some of the highest quality ukiyo-e woodblock reprints of all time. Drawing on the traditions and methods of the Edo era, the prints were produced replicating original Edo era colors and printed on beautiful handmade paper. The printers worked with the utmost care and great attention to detail, masterfully reproducing color and line work. All prints bear the red or brown “Takamizawa” seal on the reverse attesting to the Takamizawa publication of these prints.

from 1927:

From 1938:

From 1950: 
L1b

 

Takamizawa Mokuhansha (高見沢木版社)

Takamizawa Mokuhansha (高見沢木版社) | British Museum

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding the Chronology of Enji Takamizawa & Family in Woodblock Printing Replicas and Fakes

Takamizawa: 高見澤忠雄監修

Carver: 彫 菊田幸次郎

Printer: 摺 佐藤勘次郎

Mainichi Shinbunsha (毎日新聞社)

Another good publisher of reproductions. Mainly known for being one of the main Japanese newspapers but also a publishing house in their own right. Active from 1942 onwards, they have produced many Kawase Hasui reproductions.

In my collection

 

Found online

Unknown publishers

In my collection

These stamps are of the carver and printer (not the publisher) but they are very reminiscent of Takamizawa 

 This is a half-sized print with no stamps
These seem close to Mainichi Shinbunsha (note the 50/50 borders) but needs closer examination
These seem close to Mainichi Shinbunsha (note the 50/50 borders) but needs closer examination
These seem close to Mainichi Shinbunsha (note the 50/50 borders) but needs closer examination

Found online

Segawa Tomisaburō II as Yadorigi, wife of Ōgishi Kurando in Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga

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