The Hamlet of Hataori in Shiobara by Hasui Kawase Woodblock Watanabe 6mm Seal Lower Left 1946

Sturgis Antiques will be posting a collection of Hasui, collected by one person over decades, each of the woodblocks are in very good to near perfect condition. 

Title: The Hamlet of Hataori in Shiobara (Shiobara Hataori)
Size: oban
Signature and Seal on lower right in block: Hasui Kawase (Sealed)
Publisher’s 6mm circular seal Watanabe (Watanabe Shozaburo) lower left
Year: Showa nijuichinen saku (made in 1946)

Condition: light toning to the edges of the paper’s margins. The publisher’s seal on the lower left is dark and hard to read. The woodblock is not faded. The back has top hinges with scotch tape and does not appear to be staining. Strong impression overall. Please see the images for more details.

One of the desirable subjects collected of Hasui’s woodblocks are his snow scenes. 
"Nestled in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, the hamlet of Hataori in Shiobara is consumed by a blizzard. Hasui spent some of his childhood here, and it was also the place he was evacuated to during the Pacific War. Although our view is partly distorted by the great snowfall, the glow emanating from the interiors of this rustic village offer a sign of respite and warmth from the storm.”

“Hasui Kawase (1883 –1957) was an artist, one of modern Japan's most important and prolific printmakers. He was a prominent designer of the shin-hanga ("new prints") movement, whose artists depicted traditional subjects with a style influenced by Western art. Like many earlier ukiyo-e prints, Hasui's works were commonly landscapes, but displayed atmospheric effects and natural lighting.  Hasui designed almost one thousand woodblock prints over a career that spanned nearly forty years. Towards the end of his life the government recognized him as a Living National Treasure for his contribution to Japanese culture.”
Referred to most simply as Hasui, his woodblocks have been highly collectable for years. To See his woodblocks you are immediately drawn to the details, especially in his snow and rain scenes and his night scenes. Unlike traditional woodblocks of the 19th century his scenes were emotional and not stories or folk tales or stories.

Enjoy the art of one of Japanese most celebrated artist of the woodblock form.