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We have two paintings by an artist "Setsu", last name unknown, but they apparently were active in Northern California in the 1960s and 1970s. Here is a closeup of a signature and seal and pictures of the overall works -- I don't recognize the name in the surname (maybe 粡?). My partner's parents own the first painting, but they are quite old and unfortunately don't remember almost anything about the painting or the artist. They say that their parents bought it directly from the artist in the 1960s or maybe 1970s. The second piece belongs to my partner's aunt (same side of the family) but she also doesn't know anything about the artist. Thank you very much in advance for any help identifying this artist, we really enjoy these pieces and just want to learn more about the artist and their other work.

Replying to my own thread here -- I've tried consulting a few dozen galleries, auction houses, stores, etc. in the USA and Japan and have gotten nowhere. However, after talking with some more people, I had a suggestion from someone that I think might fit for this particular seal and signature.

After showing this seal to a native Japanese speaker who was educated in pre-reform and post-reform (1946) kanji, they suggested that this seal MIGHT read "Yoneishi" (米石). Online searching reveals that there was a person by this name (Setsu Yoneishi) who was born in 1895 and passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii in August 1976. I have not found any additional information to indicate that this person was an artist, but if anyone has heard of her and knows if she was an artist active during the relevant years, please let me know! Thank you in advance.

sorry not to be of any help with this artist, but I think your research and the suggestion you received make a lot of sense.

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