https://japanesewoodblockedition.com Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:42:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 https://japanesewoodblockedition.com/2026/01/antique-japanese-framed-woodblock-print-woman-reading-by-suzuki-harunobu-c-1900/ https://japanesewoodblockedition.com/2026/01/antique-japanese-framed-woodblock-print-woman-reading-by-suzuki-harunobu-c-1900/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:12:44 +0000 https://japanesewoodblockedition.com/2026/01/antique-japanese-framed-woodblock-print-woman-reading-by-suzuki-harunobu-c-1900/ […]]]>







Antique Japanese Framed Woodblock Print Woman Reading a Book by Suzuki Harunobu c. Presented is a beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print created by the renowned artist of the Edo period, Suzuki Harunobu c. 1770 and reprinted in the early 1900s. The print depicts two women – most likely a lady of the house and her maid – in a typical Japanese room interior with a large lacquer cabinet. One woman is reading a book, and the other one is looking over her shoulder while doing some housework. You can see the details of the interior with the cabinet. Floor, boxes with some household stuff. Tobacco pipe with smoking accessories, etc. A lively, beautiful scene of everyday women’s life in 18th-century Japan. Harunobu Suzuki was an exceptional ukiyo-e artist during the classical Edo period, though few details about his life are known. He was born around 1724 or 1725, possibly in Kyoto or Edo (modern-day Tokyo), and spent most of his life in Edo. His works, often accompanied by poetic verses, hint at a cultured and possibly bourgeois upbringing, suggesting he moved within intellectual and poetic circles. Suzuki Harunobu’s artistic contributions include drawings, paintings, and over 700 color prints. He also illustrated nearly two dozen books. Like many ukiyo-e artists, he created numerous erotic prints known as shunga (springtime pictures). His evolution in multi-color printing is evident in his works. Early prints, dated before 1765, typically featured two or three colors, mainly green and red. From 1766 onwards, his prints displayed up to ten distinct colors, showcasing his advanced techniques. He is considered the first artist to expand ukiyo-e into full color printings. , which was revolutionary at the time. The print was made using the traditional Japanese woodblock technique. It is hard to tell, but I think it is an early 1900s reprint. Harunobu was an artist cherished in Japan, and his works were reprinted even before Europeans became interested in ukiyo-e. The print is signed “Harunobu ga” (painted by Harunobu). There is no publisher seal, but the same print from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts from the 1760s shows the same signature with no publisher seal or other inscriptions. My last picture shows the print from MFA – it’s just an example. AUTHOR: Suzuki Harunobu TITLE: “Two Women by a Laquer Cabinet” CREATED: c. Paper METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing PRINTED: c. Early 1900s OVERALL FRAME SIZE: 19.25″ by 13.25″ PRINT SIZE: Choban 11″ X 8″. The condition is excellent. There is some minor toning, no foxing, and no losses. The print is framed in a modern, excellent-quality metal frame with double-matting. The frame is in excellent condition. Get images that make Supersized seem small. Track Page Views With.

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Lovely Utamaro beauty reprint. This striking bijin-ga or beauty print is, of course, a Kitagawa Utamaro masterwork. Without a doubt, Utamaro Japanese, c. His classic head and shoulders portraits of courtesans, geishas and teahouse waitresses are among the most sought after of all prints. In fact, many serious collectors consider Utamaro’s beauties to be the very soul of Ukiyo-e, the art of the Floating World. Utamaro’s masterworks are in the collections of many of the world’s leading museums. Among them are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the British Museum, London; the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia; and the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo. Kitagawa Utamaro, Japanese, c. TITLE: Two Beauties Reading. MEDIUM: Authentic polychrome woodblock print. Ink and color on silk. 15 1/8″ x 10 3/8″; (38,4 cm x 26,4 cm). CONDITION: Beautiful color and marvelous detail. Faint silver mica background. Please take a moment to examine the scans. The Uki Arts Gallery.

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Classic Utamaro Beauty Portrait. This charming bijin-ga or beauty print is, of course, a Utamaro masterwork. Without a doubt, Utamaro Japanese, c. His classic portraits of courtesans, geishas and teahouse waitresses are among the most sought after of all prints. In fact, many serious collectors consider Utamaro’s beauties to be the very soul of Ukiyo-e, the art of the Floating World. This is a classic Utamaro bijin-ga, or beauty portrait, of a young woman reading a letter she has just received. Light pinkish distressed mica background. It would be lovely displayed on your home or office wall. Utamaro’s masterworks are in the collections of many of the world’s great museums. Among them are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the British Museum, London; the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia; and the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo. Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese, c. TITLE: Reading a Letter. Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy. MEDIUM: Authentic polychrome woodblock print. Ink and color on handmade paper. 15 1/8″ x 10 1/8″; (38,42 cm x 25,72 cm). CONDITION: Antique MEIJI era reprint. Wonderful sense of age. Lovely soft pink mica background. Marvelous color and wonderful detail. Slight remnants from previous folio mounting on top corners of verso. Please take a moment to examine the scans. The Uki Arts Gallery.

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THE COURTESAN – HANAZUMA READING A LETTER IN THE FORM OF A SCROLL. OLD ANTIQUE MIXED PROCESS WOODBLOCK WITH HAND COLORING. 11 1/2″ WIDE X 13 3/4″ OLD 20TH CENTURY FRAME. 9 1/2″ WIDE X 11 3/4″ HIGH ARTWORK. This is a beautiful and unique antique woodblock color print from the Edo period, featuring a scene of a woman named Hanazuma reading a letter. Created by the renowned Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro, this piece is a true treasure for collectors of Asian antiques and art. The artwork is made of woodblock and color on paper, with multi-color tones that bring the scene to life. It is an original piece from the Edo era, showcasing the beauty and craftsmanship of Japanese art and culture. This antique print is perfect for anyone looking to add a piece of history and beauty to their collection.

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Artist Name Toraji Ishikawa / ISHIKAWA Toraji. Title Nudes, Ten Kinds of Nudes, Reading. Dimensions Entire size: -30.2 cm (H37.4 cm x W30.2 cm). Print size: H37.4cm x W30.2cm. Remarks Cut to the size of the print. Toraji Ishikawa painted nudes and other images of women and beauties with his skillful use of color. This is one of his best-known works from the “Ten Kinds of Nude Women” series. This work depicts a woman sitting on a carpet with her legs folded, smiling and reading a book. She is reading, but the book in her hand seems to contain illustrations or photographs rather than words, and from the way she is trying to turn the pages with her right hand, it looks like a magazine. The variety of motifs in this work is also interesting: the carpet has a grape pattern and the cushions have animal patterns. The background is decorated with a technique called mica-zuri. This is a technique familiar from ukiyoe paintings by Utamaro Kitagawa and Sharaku Toshusai, in which glittering mica powder or shell powder is used. The result is a beautiful pearl-like luster on the surface of the finished paper, giving it a luxurious finish. Born in Kochi, Japan.

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Classic Utamaro Beauty Portrait. This charming bijin-ga or beauty print is, of course, a Utamaro masterwork. Without a doubt, Utamaro Japanese, c. His classic portraits of courtesans, geishas and teahouse waitresses are among the most sought after of all prints. In fact, many serious collectors consider Utamaro’s beauties to be the very soul of Ukiyo-e, the art of the Floating World. This is a classic Utamaro bijin-ga, or beauty portrait, of a young woman reading a letter she has just received. Light pinkish distressed mica background. Would be lovely displayed on your home or office wall. Utamaro’s masterworks are in the collections of many of the world’s great museums. Among them are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the British Museum, London; the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia; and the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo. Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese, c. TITLE: Reading a Letter. Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy. MEDIUM: Authentic polychrome woodblock print. Ink and color on handmade paper. 15 1/8″ x 10 1/8″; (38,42 cm x 25,72 cm). CONDITION: Antique MEIJI era reprint. Wonderful sense of age. Lovely soft pink mica background. Marvelous color and wonderful detail. Slight remnants from previous folio mounting on top corners of verso. Please take a moment to examine the scans. The Uki Arts Gallery. See Other Listings. To see all of our Gallery’s current offerings. To see our new listings as they become available. This item is in the category “Antiques\Asian Antiques\Japan\Prints”. The seller is “ukiarts” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Featured Refinements: Japanese Woodblock Print
• Region of Origin: Japan
• Color: light pinkish mica background
• Age: Meiji Era, 1868-1912
• Primary Material: Ink and color on handmade paper
• Original/Reproduction: Antique Reproduction

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