$1,000–$8,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: Bertha Lum's status as a pioneering Western woodblock printmaker gives her work historical value. Her Art Nouveau-influenced prints are particularly sought after.
This 1905 color woodcut titled "O Yuki" likely references Yuki-Onna, the snow woman of Japanese folklore — a spectral figure associated with snowstorms and winter cold. Alternatively, the name may simply denote a female figure named Yuki, with the honorific "O" prefix. Either reading connects to Lum's early engagement with Japanese culture during a period when she was absorbing both the technical methods and the narrative traditions of her adopted artistic homeland. Created just two years after her first trip to Japan, this print represents Lum's rapid assimilation of woodblock craft. The color palette and compositional approach already show confidence with the medium, suggesting the intensity of her apprenticeship with Japanese carvers and printers.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
O Yuki was created by Bertha Lum in 1905.
O Yuki depicts figures, snow scenes, and mythology.
O Yuki measures 33.8 × 4.9 cm.
