An engraved woodblock

[Bernard]

Hello everybody,

My father purchased this engraved woodblock (25cm X23.5cm X 2cm) at a fleamarket. I think it was used to make a Japanese print (or a surimono ?).They must have been made in huge quantities, so I wonder why one sees them so rarely.Maybe because they have been destoyed or have no commercial value? Do you have a guess ? It would be amusing to find the finished print.Can anyone help in translating the inscriptions on it? (hope it is not Chinese !)

Regards.

Bernard D

[ROKUJURO]

Bernard,

 

it is Japanese, but why don't you make a print? That would be much easier to read! Black would be sufficient!

[DirkO]

I wouldn't make a print, but a pencil oshigata/tracing on a simple piece of paper would suffice to get a better look at the signature and what's written in the textbox!

[Robert Mormile]

Bernard:

 

The style is distinctly Japanese. It is signed so, perhaps a chu-ban print, or part of an o-ban but not a surimono. (you can see the key marks on the lower right corner and guide on the lower center edge.) The short answer on the survivability question is “fire”. Towns where prints were made, like Edo, were densely packets with small wooden homes. When there was a fire, it spread quickly. Fire-fighting was futile. Also, when prints lost their appeal, the woodblock was either reused or burned as fuel. There might have been made 40 impressions of a print that was not popular. Popular prints might have been reprinted 3 times (120 copies) before having to be recut, in a sense restored. How many images of this print exist can’t be known. Just for the sake of curiosity, you should print the signature and title section.

 

Robert

[Bernard]

Thank you for your replies. Robert, your explanation is very interesting.

Here are the results (front and back) of my efforts. I am aware that it is not impressive (sorry), but it's all I can do for the moment. Hope this helps a little...

Bernard D

[Robert Mormile]

Strange, looks like: 傍谷画

Just can't place it right now.

 

Robert

[Bernard]

Here is a new attempt for the signature.

Bernard D

[k morita]

Hi,

The title is:

"The scenery of Benten Island (also Benten temple) in Shinobazu pond"(in Ueno,Edo,Tokyo).(不 忍 弁 天 の 真 景)

 

Signature is:

Wrote by Baikoku.

(梅 谷 画)

[Bernard]

K Morita san,

Many thanks for your help!

Bernard D

[runagmc]

Any ideas on age, or rarity/value of the print carving?

[kusunokimasahige]

Great item ! The first time I actually see a woodblock itself !

 

KM

[Baka Gaijin]

Morning all,

 

The British Museum has some Surimono (Privately published, usually celebratory - New Year etc) woodblock prints signed Baikoku.

 

These are classified as Maruyama Shijo school, c. 1850.

 

 

Cheers