Single block print, maple tree
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- wbp
Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
A maple tree rendered from a single carved block, with the autumn-colored leaves and branching structure captured entirely through one layer of ink and the paper's own whiteness. The single-block constraint forces Inagaki to encode all the maple's visual information, trunk texture, branch pattern, leaf shape, and the suggestion of autumn color, into a binary system of printed and unprinted areas. The maple (momiji) is Japan's premier symbol of autumn, and its leaves' distinctive palmate form translates well into the crisp edges achievable with wood carving. Inagaki's print reduces a complex natural subject to its essential graphic structure while preserving enough botanical detail for immediate recognition.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Single block print, maple tree was created by Inagaki Toshijiro (稲垣稔次郎).
Single block print, maple tree depicts trees and autumn foliage.
