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I have a print,numbered 1541, Peonies and Willow, by Kuniyoshi. Does anyone know anything about this print & number? Or where I might look for more information? The museum sites and sale sites make no mention of numbers, heck, maybe they are ALL numbered 1541!!

Any help would be appreciated, or suggestions of where to look further. Thanx

Prints were not numbered in the Edo period. This is a western custom and appeared in Japanese prints in the 1900s.

Without seeing a picture, it sounds like your print is a recent reproduction with only decorative value. If you attach a photo, we may be able to confirm my supposition.

Cheers,
Stan

Go to William Pearl's site on Kuniyoshi prints at the link, click on 'landscapes' and on 'surimono', you may be able to find an example of an original print much like yours.

The original prints did not have such a number as you give. Your number would be a stock number for a much later print-reproduction publisher. Differences would be in size, type of paper, ink colors, whether there is text in margins, and possibly the method of printing. If you have a decent magnifying glass, look at your print; if you see clusters or arrays of small colored dots your print was produced by photo-offset lithography rather than by recut woodblocks. Original prints have been reproduced by various means many times over the decades.

Good luck,
Cal

URL Title :Kuniyoshi project

Thank you both, your answers were what I expected.

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