<b>KASUGA SHRINE IN SNOW, NARA</b> / Kawase Hasuic. 1933$6,000</em>
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kasuga Shrine in Snow, Nara
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: c. 1933
DIMENSIONS:
CONDITION: Mounted onto original backing, minor losses to silver edge of backing, small loss to coversheet of calendar; minor soiling and staining
NOTE: Full-size woodblock print
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$6,000.00
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Details
Perhaps more than any other Shin Hanga artist, Kawase Hasui has taken the artistic baton from Hiroshige and moved it further with his production of some of the most beautiful atmospheric snow scenes in the modern era. Kasuga Shrine in Snow, Nara is among Hasui's most desirable works within this genre.
Two kimono-clad women share an umbrella under gently falling snow. They take a moment to collect themselves to enter the sacred temple complex. Taking its cues from memory and the longing for bygone days, perhaps it’s this design’s timeless elegance and simplicity that inspired Watanabe to use it as part of his studio’s 1936 calendar. Note the small calendar inset at the bottom portion of the design.
Connoisseur's Note
This impression of Kasuga Shrine in Snow, Nara, is a fully realized woodblock print. The print is no different from the regular version issued by Watanabe’s studio. The print has been attached to a stiff paper-based board with silver covering the print’s margins. The inset woodblock printed calendar is at the bottom portion of the design and works harmoniously within the composition. It is interesting to note that this design was produced with the artist’s signature at the lower right corner—spelled out in a horizontal format—in a style that is different from all his other oban-sized work. Perhaps Watanabe produced this work specifically for his calendar but also happened to offer the finished print as a standalone work.
The print is in very good condition and is exceedingly rare in this state. As with most calendars, their ephemeral quality resulted in the vast majority of these impressions being lost to time. The print remains attached to the stiff paper-based board. There are minor losses to the silver around the print as well as one small loss to the calendar’s woodblock printed cover at the lower right. The reverse retains its original label from the Japanese Board of Tourist Industry, with offices listed in both Los Angeles and New York. This piece is a wonderful work of art as much as it is an important historical artifact.
