Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
This is an authentic Japanese Shin-hanga ('New Prints') woodblock print titled 'Matsuyama Castle Moon' (松山城 名月), designed in November 1953 by master landscape printmaker Kawase Hasui. The print depicts an evocative night view looking through a wooden gate toward moonlit cherry blossoms, bearing the classic red 6mm Watanabe publisher seal in the lower right corner.
Story
Published in November 1953, this serene nocturnal view of Matsuyama Castle reflects Kawase Hasui's mastery of poetic light and shadows in postwar Japan. His lifelong collaboration with publisher Watanabe revived the woodblock tradition.
Maker / Origin
Kawase Hasui (1883–1957) was the foremost landscape artist of the 20th-century Shin-hanga movement, celebrated for his atmospheric travel prints capturing traditional Japan. Just before his death, the Japanese government honored his contribution to cultural heritage by declaring him a Living National Treasure.
Condition & Value
The print appears to be in very good condition with strong, unfaded blues and blacks, clear margins, and visible baren impressions on the reverse. Slight edge handling and faint paper tone consistent with age; condition significantly supports full market value.
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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.