Snow and night scenes traditionally command higher prices. 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.
"Seto Inland Sea in Moonlight" by Okazaki Shintaro is a woodblock print presenting the sheltered Japanese waterway under nocturnal illumination. Without the returning junks specified in the artist's related compositions, this version may offer a more purely atmospheric treatment of the sea itself, with moonlight playing across the gentle swells and distant island profiles that define this body of water. The Seto Inland Sea rarely experiences the violent storms of the open Pacific, and its calm surface becomes an ideal reflective plane for moonlight. Okazaki's handling of the night sky and water likely employs layered printing to build tonal depth, with each successive color block adding another dimension to the interplay between darkness and reflected light. The print distills the experience of standing on a quiet shore, watching the sea transform under the moon.
1940
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Seto Inland Sea in Moonlight was created by Okazaki Shintaro (岡崎紳太郎).
Seto Inland Sea in Moonlight depicts seascapes, moonlight, and night scenes, set at Seto Inland Sea.
