Kashiwazaki in Echigo
First published in 1954, the print shows heavy snow falling on a bridge in Kashiwazaki, Echigo province, in the north west of Japan. This area is known for large amounts of snow during the winter.
The print is in the Shin-Hanga (new prints) style.
Note that the angled cut in the bottom right hand corner of the paper is to allow the printer to align the paper accurately in the different colour blocks used to build up the different colours in the print.
The print is in the Large Oban format - approximately 24cm wide by 36 cm high, with additional margin space for the print title and seals of the publisher, carver, and printer.
The print is on unwatermaked Japanese paper, most likely printed after the year 2000.
Seal Information
Publisher
The publisher of this print - Unsodo - is identified by the ‘Unsodo Han’ new seal that appears mid way down the left hand margin of the print - the ‘new’ seal was used by the Unsodo Publishing company from 1999 onwards. The seal was validated using information from ‘The Seals of Unsodo Han - The Publisher’s Seals of Unsodo’ from www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/unsodohan.htm
Artist
The artist - Take Asano - is identified by the signature ‘Takeji’ that appears in the bottom left hand corner of the print. This signature was validated using information from the Ohmi Gallery (ohmigallery.com) by looking at another print - ‘Spring in Daigoji Temple’ where the artists signature is identified, and from the Ukiyo-e Signatures and Seals section of the www.artelono..com auction site.
Carver
The carver Okura (Ohkura) Hanbel is identified by the seal ‘horn (translates as carver) Okura’ that appears at the bottom left hand corner of the print outside the margin. The signature has been partially validated using information from ‘The Seals of Unsodo Han - The Publisher’s Seals of Unsodo’ from www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/unsodohan.htm
Printer
The printer - Nakayama - appears to be identified by a seal that appears in the middle of the print just outside the left hand margin. I have not been able to confirm that this seal actually identifies Nayakama as the printer.
Title
The title appears outside the margin in the top left hand corner of the print, and translates to ‘Kurama Temple in the Spring
