$1,000–$6,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$2,000. Key value factors: Nishijima's nostalgic Japanese village scenes appeal to collectors worldwide. Limited editions maintain value well.
Red lanterns — the hanging chochin that illuminate the entrances of izakaya pubs, restaurants, and traditional establishments throughout Japan — provide Nishijima with a subject at once specific and universally resonant. The soft red glow of paper lanterns against the darkness, or against the grey of a daytime street, creates the warm commercial vitality that distinguishes the dining and entertainment districts of Japanese cities. His rendering of this nocturnal or transitional subject demonstrates his sensitivity to the particular quality of artificial light in the context of traditional architecture.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Red Lanterns was created by Katsuyuki Nishijima (西島勝之).
Red Lanterns depicts urban scenes, night scenes, and architecture.
