How to tell if a woodblock print is original?
Fortunately, there are some signs that indicate whether a woodblock print is original. Ask to see the print unframed. You will need to look at it closely, and you will not be able to properly examine it if it is under glass. Take a look at the back of the piece. If it is an original print, there will be some bleed-through on the back of the paper.
Why are woodblock prints so expensive to buy?
It’s no wonder that original woodblock prints have soared in price. This also means that knockoffs and low-quality reproductions have entered the market. While there’s nothing wrong with saving some money and buying reproductions, some sellers try to pass off their reproductions as the real thing.
How big is a Kitagawa Utamaro woodblock print?
Description: Kitagawa Utamaro, Japace c.1753-1806, A Wife of the Middle Rank, Meijireprinting, woodblock print in colours, from the series A Guide to Women’s Co…… Lot 102: Kitagawa Utamaro, Japanese woodblock print. Description: Kitagawa Utamaro, Japanese woodblock print.. 40×28 cm….
Where to find the seal on Japanese woodblock prints?
These are often found on the reverse side of the piece, in the margins or even incorporated within the design of the picture. Beware of pieces where the margins have been cut off, thus removing the seal; this can be a trick employed by unscrupulous art dealers looking to mislead buyers.
Fortunately, there are some signs that indicate whether a woodblock print is original. Ask to see the print unframed. You will need to look at it closely, and you will not be able to properly examine it if it is under glass. Take a look at the back of the piece. If it is an original print, there will be some bleed-through on the back of the paper.
How much does a Japanese woodblock print cost?
Values range from a few thousand dollars for a good quality print to more than $100,000 for a complete original edition by a master of the woodblock.
What kind of prints are made from woodblocks?
Original prints are typically those prints which were made by the artist or the publisher in the artist’s lifetime from the artist’s original woodblocks with designs cut by the artist. Artists did not own the woodblocks necessary to make their prints.
How many woodblocks are used to make a negative?
The engraver then took over and traced the original drawing to create a negative, in a series of woodblocks used for printing. “Sometimes multiple carvers would be used, as many of the designs used multiple blocks,” adds Levitz. Polychromatic prints sometimes required as many as 20 separate woodblocks.
