$1,000–$8,000. Common prints: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: Iwami Reika's luminous abstract prints are among the most sought-after by female Japanese printmakers. Her cosmic and water-inspired works command the highest prices.
Printed as edition 43 of 50 in 1976, Peaceful Water depicts the surface of still or gently moving water in a state of calm that contrasts with the turbulent energy of Iwami's more dynamic sea prints. The title's emphasis on peace suggests a protected body of water, perhaps a bay, inlet, or lake, where wave action is minimal and the surface acts primarily as a mirror for the sky above. Iwami renders this tranquility through subtle tonal transitions and horizontal compositional elements that reinforce the stillness of the scene. The print invites a contemplative mode of viewing that matches its subject, rewarding slow looking with gradually revealed details of surface texture and reflected light. The near-end position in the edition, number 43 of 50, places this impression among the final prints pulled from the blocks.
Nikko Chuzenjiko
1930
Color woodblock print; oban
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Niigata Gosaibori
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Peaceful water was created by Reika Iwami (岩見禮花) in 43/50, 1976.
Peaceful water depicts rivers & lakes, seascapes, and abstract.
