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Good day. As I am new to this forum, I do hope I am proceeding properly. I recently purchased a set of four Japanese woodblock prints, including what is described as an original Utagawa Kuniyoshi print. This print has a tag on the larger sheet to which it is attached which reads "Original Print Guarantee by Sakai Co. Ltd. Established 1874 Yokohama Japan", and below it is written in pencil "Kuniyoshi 1797-1861." Checking the online catalog of the Boston Museum of Fine Art, I find that the print was produced in 1852 and is titled "Wanting to See How One Looks", from the series Auspicious Desires on Land and Sea. I do not find any other references online to other museums or large collections holding this particular print.
I do not speak or read Japanese, so my fact-checking may be suspect, but in comparing the Japanese characters on the Museum of Art specimen and mine, they appear identical. The piece is clearly a woodblock print of significant age (and not as bright and vibrant as the Museum one), and I am trying to find out more about this print, its value, and also the artist and origins of the three other prints in the collection. I would appreciate any thoughts, references to other sites or other information that any member of the forum can offer. I have also uploaded a photo of one of the other woodblock prints.

Ask here: http://www.ukiyo-e.se/wwwboard/wwwboard.html

I should check before I type. artelino.com sold only one from the series (not yours). It sold for $220 in May 2014.

Cheers,
Stan

You identified the Kuniyoshi print correctly. As you note, it has experienced some fading relative to the one at the Boston MFA. Value depends on venue. Nicely framed in a gallery, your print would bring a few hundred dollars. It would sell for about $100 on artelino.com and they would take 20% commission.

The first picture appears to be of a Chinese landscape painting.

Regards,
Stan

The complete series (aka "Celebrated Products of Mountains and Seas") is on the kuniyoshiproject.com site at the link below. Your print is number 55 in the series (of 70 prints) on this page:

http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/Celebrated%20Products%20III.htm

Cheers,
Stan

URL Title :Kuniyoshi Mountains & Seas

If you want another print from the series, see link below for one at auction.

Cheers,
Stan

URL Title :Auction

Thank you for the help, Stan. I have uploaded a few more pictures, as I'm still trying to id. the artists behind the three landscape works.

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