Selling a Japanese Woodblock Print
January 2, 2013 9:06 AM Subscribe
I have a mid-20th century woodblock print by Japanese-American artist Ansei Uchima that I would like to sell. How should I go about selling it?
The print may be the same block as this one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collections, though mine says 7/30 instead of n/50. I have a documented family-friend connection with Oliver Statler, who was a novelist and an authority on mid-20th century Japanese woodblock prints; he wrote the book "Modern Japanese Prints: An Art Reborn" (Tuttle, 1956). (He was also friends with James Michener). Ansei Uchima was closely associated with Statler as his translator, and this print came directly into my family from Statler (I can document this, too.)
I live in the American Midwest, and I would guess that a dealer in Chicago familiar with Japanese 20th century art would be my best bet, but I don't really know where to start. Do I get on the phone and start making inquiries? How do I know who's good? My order-of-magnitude estimate is that the print is worth between $200 and $2000 US; I have no idea if the provenance is relevant or not.
The print may be the same block as this one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collections, though mine says 7/30 instead of n/50. I have a documented family-friend connection with Oliver Statler, who was a novelist and an authority on mid-20th century Japanese woodblock prints; he wrote the book "Modern Japanese Prints: An Art Reborn" (Tuttle, 1956). (He was also friends with James Michener). Ansei Uchima was closely associated with Statler as his translator, and this print came directly into my family from Statler (I can document this, too.)
I live in the American Midwest, and I would guess that a dealer in Chicago familiar with Japanese 20th century art would be my best bet, but I don't really know where to start. Do I get on the phone and start making inquiries? How do I know who's good? My order-of-magnitude estimate is that the print is worth between $200 and $2000 US; I have no idea if the provenance is relevant or not.
Floating World Gallery in Chicago.
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 10:42 AM on January 2, 2013
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 10:42 AM on January 2, 2013
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posted by PussKillian at 9:53 AM on January 2, 2013