Naga Pool, Chichibu (Chichibu Nagatoro)

Date:: 1947
Medium:: Color woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo
Edition:: Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
Source:: Art Institute of Chicago

Typical Price

River, lake, and coastal scenes form the largest single category in Hasui's output — steady, popular subjects with consistent demand. Value is driven primarily by edition period (pre-war vs. postwar lifetime vs. posthumous), condition, and the presence of seasonal atmospheric effects. Night and rain variants of water scenes command 20–40% premiums over comparable daytime views. Postwar lifetime editions (1946–1957) bearing the small 6mm J-seal represent authentic lifetime impressions but from the artist's final decade.

Pre-war lifetime edition (Watanabe seal): $800–$3,000
Postwar lifetime edition (J-seal): $350–$1,200
Posthumous/Heisei edition: $150–$500

Description

Nagatoro in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, is where the Arakawa River cuts through a gorge of contorted metamorphic rock, the dark stone twisted into dramatic formations by ancient geological forces. The "long pool" (nagatoro) section of the river below the gorge is calm enough for flat-bottomed boat rides through the rock formations. This 1947 print likely shows the pool or the gorge from a boat's perspective, the dark rock walls rising on either side of the still water.