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Hello I have a woodblock print. Purchased at a car boot sale. Ukiyoe "Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa" by Hokusai. Can anybody tell me is it an original woodblock print or later copy? I heard if you look close and see dots it's a photocopy of some sort but I can't see any dots it does look to have age the paper used. Any help is appreciated.
Regards John


















Link :https://postimg.org/gallery/1bsp6zsks/c3272d77/

Your print looks to be an early to mid 20th c re-print. The increased popularity of the woodblocks among Westerners during the 1920's inspired many publishers to have their artists re-carve wood blocks of the most desirable prints of the 18/19th c. masters.

The paper is the first step in how I can tell a reprint. The texture of the paper of your print is too fine and course. The correct paper (washi) is much more like fabric and fibrous.

The color is the second step. The blue dyes used in Hokusai's works have a brilliance to them, even when the print is faded, the dye seems to capture light and retains its richness.

Third issue with your print is the design itself. While there may be variations in how the ink has applied to each sheet of paper, the block lines should be identical (unless there was a change to the design in the midst of the printing).

Compare your print to known genuine museum examples. I use the MET or Boston MFA. Both have online images that you can zoom in on so you can compare each and every detail of your print.

I made a quick comparison of just the calligraphy in the cartouche. They similar, but not exact. Different spacing in the double lines of the rectangular cartouche, thickness of the writing is different, length of some of the characters are different, etc....

Hope this helps you with future woodblock purchases.

Good luck!
TimG

URL Title :Link to MET Hokusai Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa

Comparing it to an original at the Boston MFA:

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/under-mannen-bridge-at-fukagawa-fukagawa-mannen-bashi-no-shita-from-the-series-thirty-six-views-of-mount-fuji-fugaku-sanj%C3%BBrokkei-234416

It is a repro. This series has been reproduced (literally) more than 1000 times.

Cheers,
Stan

Thank you gentleman. Invaluable information to someone like me who is learning. There are later woodblock prints also and now I know how to identify. You can really see the difference in colour in the original btw.
Many thanks
Regards John

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