Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
This is an original Japanese shin-hanga (new prints) woodblock print titled 'Winter Moon, Toyama Plain' (Fuyu no Tsuki, Toyama-gahara) by master landscape artist Tsuchiya Koitsu. Dated Showa 11 (1936) in the image, it depicts a tranquil, moonlit winter night with silhouetted trees reflecting in quiet standing water.
Story
Carved in 1936, this print captures the serene magic of moonlight on the Toyama plain, printed by master craftsmen using original cherry woodblocks.
Maker / Origin
Tsuchiya Koitsu (1870–1949) trained under the legendary master Kobayashi Kiyochika for nearly two decades, mastering Western-influenced chiaroscuro and atmospheric light effects. In the 1930s, he became one of the key figures of the Shin-hanga movement under publishers like Doi Sadaichi, producing evocative night scenes, temples, and rain-swept landscapes that became immensely popular worldwide.
Condition & Value
The print displays vibrant color saturation, strong baren marks visible on verso, and clean margins without significant trimming, toning, or foxing. Excellent preservation preserves strong market demand.
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.