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I originally posted about this back in early March, and thanks to Stan, have learned a little about this print and the woodblock process. Maybe I'm thinking about this wrongly, but I still have a question. That is -- In looking at this woodblock print titled "Osen of the Kagiya" and the one at the Museum of Fine Art (which is the only other one I've been able to find on line), all characters on the borders are the same with one exception -- what I assume is the artist's seal on the bottom right (see attached photo). The one in Boston has what they clearly identify as Katuskawa Shunsho's seal, which is quite different from the one on my woodblock print (which is of a smaller size, I believe chuban?) I'm still trying to find out the significance of this seal, and whom it represents, as a way of hopefully establishing some background on this print. I have checked it closely and it's definitely a woodblock print, and I would like to find out as much about it as possible. Any thoughts/references/ideas welcome.

The following is a response from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Interesting information, but still leaves me on a wandering path. Anyway, for anyone interested, here what I was told:

I am not sure I can help you too much. I can read and confirm the artist's signature "Katsugawa Shunsho ga" --- "drawn by Katsukawa Shunsho". The sign board on the upper right of the print does read "Kagiya" in hiragana, a native Japanese syllabic 'alphabet'. The longer inscription on the left in very cursive script appears to be a poem, however it is too cursive for me to make out more than a few words.

I have searched through 3 works to determine the significance of the seal. It seems to read "Nagatani" on the right side. The left side of the seal is taken up by the character for river. It is most likely NOT that of the artist Shunsho. My guess is that it is either a censor or publisher's seal. The seals one sees on Japanese prints are almost always those of the censor and/or the publisher. However, I cannot find this seal in any resource we have here. The print itself is in such excellent condition I wonder if it might be a later reprint. Blocks for prints have been saved and re-printed, restored or completely re-cut and reprinted up to today. The seal may belong to a late 19th or 20th century publisher (??) --- though I am not sure. Yet, this could account for the differences between your print and the same print in the Boston MFA. Of course this could also be an extremely well preserved 18th century original print.

Any and all thoughts welcome.

It is an obvious reprint. Yours is not the same size as an original. It is not a censor seal. The seal is likely a publisher's seal. I can't find it on any of the online sites or in my references. You can try to find it.

Cheers,
Stan

Thanks, Stan. I'm sure it's a later reprint. I'd like to find the publisher so that I might be able to at least get an idea as to when this was done.

IMO, the seal reads 'Hasegawa' (長谷川).

I'm not an expert of 20th century publishers in Japan but eventually, the seal could refer to the publisher Hasegawa/Nishinomiya ( cfr.the article at ukiyoe-gallery.com).

My advice is to contact the Ukiyoe Gallery.

Guy.

URL Title :Hasegawa/Nishinomiya

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