Sarusawa Pond in Nara

Date:: c. 1935
Medium:: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Format:: Oban
Dimensions:: 25.6 × 26.4 cm
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo
Edition:: Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
Source:: Harvard Art Museums

Typical Price

$3,000–$100,000+. Common designs, later printings: $3,000–$8,000. Key value factors: First edition (Watanabe 6mm seal) vs. later printings significantly affects price. Snow scenes and night views tend to command premiums.

Description

"Sarusawa Pond in Nara" is a shin-hanga print by Kawase Hasui, created during the Taisho and Showa periods. This work demonstrates the artist's distinctive approach to landscapes and temples through the medium of Japanese woodblock printing.

Hasui was the most prolific and beloved shin-hanga landscape artist, capturing Japan's temples, mountains, and coastal scenes in every season and weather condition. His atmospheric prints are treasured for their poetic tranquility.

This print represents Kawase Hasui's contribution to the shin-hanga tradition during the Taisho and Showa periods. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.