Real Or Fake? A quick guide to the basics of appraising Japanese Woodblock Prints ( Ukiyoe )

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2 жыл бұрын

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Пікірлер: 69

@woodrushwoodrush7076 2 жыл бұрын

Hello from New Zealand. I’ve recently started collecting woodblock prints. Thanks for the introduction to this fascinating subject. I hope to learn more from your channel.

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and commenting!

@axismundi8 8 ай бұрын

Lovely video. So informative. Thank you.

@ExJapTer 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@nathanielscreativecollecti6392 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I'm looking at a set of prints right now and this was helpful.

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Glad to be of help! If you send photos of any prints to exjapter @ gmail I can give you an assessment.

@bobbinsthethird Жыл бұрын

Informative video, thanks.

@roberttorresfilms 9 күн бұрын

Super helpful!

@fringehead 10 ай бұрын

Thanks, I learned a lot

@Battogami 2 жыл бұрын

Very informational!

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

I set out to film a short video, but to do that I ended up editing out about 16 minutes! I get a bit long winded about prints...

@sfdanceron1 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this information. I was buying block prints years ago (30-40 yrs) I have three Hiroshige's that a dealer want to look at. I suspect, however, after listening to your content, even at 40 years old they're probably reprints. In any case, I have enjoyed them over the years.

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

A lot of it is recognizing old paper in terms of color and feel. Also, if the paper is a little too perfect it is probably a recut print. The thing is, recut prints are beautiful display pieces - personally I think if you want them on your wall a recut is better in most ways.

@arielvalencia4583 2 жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing very informative but dont forget old fine reprints are valuable, some were later reps of original blocks or recarved with excellent quality in better states than original runs, in which even colour variations have seen

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, reprints can be very beautiful, valuable, and collectible. I admit I don't have much experience with them though.

@robertmckeown5741 2 жыл бұрын

the fingerprint of the original woodgrain is a great tip, thanks

@MieGallery 2 жыл бұрын

Well done - thanks!

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@nathanielalgernon975 Жыл бұрын

I would say a fake is only a reproduction from recarved woodblocks, I wouldn't called restrikes as fake, they are just reprinting from the original woodblocks. Later reprints have breaks in key lines, or small parts that were recarved as you mentioned. Paper is not bright white in older prints, the white is mellowed by age. With a lot of shin hanga prints and even Meiji prints you have different print/carver/publisher seals. Early limited editions have limited edition seals on the back as well. Searching the web will help with determining if you have an early seal or a later edition seal. Early edition seals will probably be rarer. Knowing the seals is the best way to determine what you have.

@ExJapTer Жыл бұрын

I have to quibble slightly and say there are counterfeits out there, reprintings that have undergone aging techniques to make a print appear older than it is, or are otherwise misrepresented in auctions. But I agree, in most instances "fake" is a misnomer.

@nathanielalgernon975 Жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer yes, I would say a reproduction, completely redone from new woodblocks could be considered a fake if they don't change the seals. There're some prints out there, and I collect Shotei and there are quite a few knock-off out there, similar to the original but with elements that are different so if you know his prints you wouldn't be fooled. Some of the knockoffs are nice and I imagine they date from the time of the original print.

@gullcreekstudio1391 4 ай бұрын

Great Vid! How would one go about finding out information on prints. Our parents collected art and midmod furniture. We have 3 woodblock prints that they aquired in the 60s. One is Benkie with his bell and appears to be very old

@ExJapTer 4 ай бұрын

I own several books, but there are also resources online. I found the website artelino to be a huge resource back when I started. They have a collection of identified seals to help you find the artist and if an Edo period print, the year. ukiyoe-gallery also had a number of helpful articles, especially about Shin-Hanga. I havent visited them in years though, so I hope they havent disappeared....

@gullcreekstudio1391 4 ай бұрын

Ok! Thank you. I know some of them are from Guo Feng. Others appear to be older. I appreciate you

@smellyrhinostudio 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! I have a gorgeous print in the Japanese style, but it is by a Chinese Artist! It's Yang Kaisheng, and apparently, he is well-known in China and even started a school over there, but I have been completely unlucky finding any info about him other than the one paragraph! What's more, I can only find one image other than my own! I know it's original for all the reasons you stated, and also signed in pencil. I will keep it forever so I guess it doesn't matter, but it would be nice to know why there isn't much out there about him. Thanks for your video!

@ExJapTer 8 ай бұрын

Sounds like a very special piece! Perhaps the only thing I could recommend is to find someone who could get information and translate it for you from Chinese, as I would expect there would be more information on the artist that way.

@bumenjoyer Жыл бұрын

Do you have any idea regarding signatures? For example, is it normal for a series to have multiple styles of signature from the same artist, eventhough they are the same collection? Arent they all stamped anyway, so they would all be similar? Or is looking at signature not the right way to authenticate prints?

@ExJapTer Жыл бұрын

Signature is nearly always part of the print (they aren't hand signed). Therefore reproductions of prints will have the signature on the reproduction in the same manner as the original. This shouldn't be confused as being "fake".

@jeffreymoore67 2 жыл бұрын

I really need help on mine that I have. It’s just one but I can’t read Japanese nor can I figure out the chop. The chop is hand drawn with red and the washi paper looks more like cloth. Any way I can send you a picture and get your opinion? Need help bad

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Sure, send photos to exjapter@gmail . Be sure to send a photo of the back, too.

@zachjohnson9721 Ай бұрын

I recently came across some woodblock prints. Do you look at prints to see if they’re of value? I don’t want to part with them without knowing a little more.

@ExJapTer Ай бұрын

Send photos (both front and back) to exjapter at gmail and I can take a look.

@tillit5006 2 жыл бұрын

Hello Very informative video! I'm not sure if I just didn't hear it. if you got it in the video, I'm sorry! But what is the average price for such an original?

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

It varies wildly depending on the artist, condition and where you are buying it (store or flea market for example). A really rough estimate would be Not famous artist/print: from $30 to several hundred. Somewhat famous: $50 to high hundreds Famous: $100 to thousands of dollars. If you have a particular print or type of print in mind I could give a more pinpoint estimate.

@tillit5006 2 жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer ok thank you so much!

@LIsa_Shi 2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing. My problem is that i have a "woodblock" on a laid paper. But it looks like it is a modern print. I checked under the microscope and now I'm pretty positive ab that. It has the foxing. So now I'm at a loss. I can't find any info on the editions. So i have zero idea how old this thing is. It's clear that it is not an original. But is it 1920/30/40 maybe even 60s? I don't know 😢

@ExJapTer 2 ай бұрын

If you want, send some photos to my email, exjapter at gmail. I might be able to help.

@LIsa_Shi 2 ай бұрын

@@ExJapTer oh thank you so much! I will.

@ajames283 2 ай бұрын

I have an old Japanese woodblock print of roses. It has foxing so it's old. I tried to do a reverse look up and have never seen this print anywhere else on the internet?

@ExJapTer 2 ай бұрын

Send a photo to exjapter at gmail, maybe I can help.

@ajames283 2 ай бұрын

@@ExJapTerThank you for replying. I did more research. It's a print by Ito Nisaburo. I only see one other example on the internet.

@ExJapTer 2 ай бұрын

@@ajames283 glad you found it.

@karenlewismoore8687 Жыл бұрын

What about emboss on prints

@ExJapTer Жыл бұрын

Embossing is a good way to spot genuine prints. The embossing is usually in the whites, like kimono collars, etc.

@unwantedpeople368 Жыл бұрын

I am curious....the lines from the drying racks.. I wish you could show us where and what they look like? Thank you for your great videos.

@ExJapTer Жыл бұрын

I will try to figure out a way to show that on camera next time. That said, when you have a print in hand all you have to do is hold it up and you can see immediately what they look like.

@unwantedpeople368 Жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer Thanks I appreciate it. I have 4 woodblock prints Ive recently picked up that I am studying. , published date is Showa 5 and Showa 6 era. Outside the right margin is a line of text where it says the date and each has an older date too, im thinking the older dates are original dates? Kobe publishing? Shimbun?Shinkai? Any of those mean anything to you? Thanks.

@ExJapTer Жыл бұрын

Probably the best way to answer this is to see the prints. Can you send some photos to exjapter at gmail ?

@unwantedpeople368 Жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer I sent pictures of the 4 prints, front and backside. Thank you very much for your help.

@unwantedpeople368 Жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer any chance you have time to peek at the 4 prints I sent you pictures of? I appreciate that you most likely are very busy. I sent them to your Gmail. thanks much

@jamescrawford5567 4 ай бұрын

I have two sharaku prints That were World War 2, bring back. They were given to my grandmother at her wedding by A colonel . She had an appraisal done in the 80s here in Memphis, and they valued them at $6000 8000. I don't know if it's b******* or not, can you help? I would like to email you if I could.

@ExJapTer 4 ай бұрын

I can take a look if you want. exjapter gmail is my email address. What exactly are your concerns?

@xjkdx 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video. I know that wood grain can be an aesthetic choice, especially for specific prints and artists/designers. Is it accurate to say that prominent wood grain means an early version of the print, or could it possibly be the person who may have commissioned the print wanting less wood grain. Just curious. Thanks!

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Woodblock prints back in the 19th century were not really considered high art. They were mass produced by standards of the time and many people used them as wrapping paper or simply tacked them on the wall like a college student treats a poster. No one was really paying attention to the woodgrain pattern then. It wasnt until later that people began to value them.

@alexthemle 2 жыл бұрын

Are you really able to store originals in plastic sleeves like this? I was told to get museum board and store it inside an archival binder box.

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

No doubt that is probably better. The binder is created for and and with materials to protect artwork (acid free paper etc), but for long term storage museum style would no doubt be better.

@alexthemle 2 жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer Thanks for replying! Do you know of the US based dealer fujiarts? They seem to sell worn out Hiroshige prints for around $200 - 600 at auction, a lot are paper backed.

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexthemle yes, they were selling on Ebay at the same time I was back in 2005-2008 or so. Always a bit more expensive than the actual value, but with wide selection so I suppose they sold to people who were looking for specific prints or for people who took a fancy to a particular print. I had my sources in Japan so I never bought from them.

@ExJapTer 2 жыл бұрын

Don't get me wrong, their prices aren't outrageous, just not something I would pay.

@alexthemle 2 жыл бұрын

@@ExJapTer Thanks for the insight! I only use their auctions since their fixed prices are expensive. I used Hara Shabo or a similar sounding name for originals and Adachi in japan. You got any other gems? I've been trying to get my hands on high quality reprints of Hiroshiges great series of fish as well as potentially an original 1600s manasobu print. Sorry if the names have typos I'm new to this!