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Does anyone know if these are prints or copies and what the value might be? Thanks for any help.

Odds are they are both; prints and copies. Without pictures we are unable to help.

Cheers,
Stan

Sandi,

I've attached 3 of the photos you emailed below. Here is my analysis of your prints:

Top frame/left: The artist is Utamaro. I was unable to find an original print for comparison. However, my comments on the other Utamaro print below apply.

Top frame/right: The artist is Sharaku. Sharaku's prints are very rare and very valuable. This is an obvious reproduction. Note the lack of the gray mica-infused background and the signature in a different location. Here is an original at the Boston MFA:

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/actor-ichikawa-ebiz-as-takemura-sadanoshin-206759

Lower left frame: The artist is Haranobu. This is an obvious reproduction. The colors are wrong. See Utamaro comments below. Here is an original print at the Boston MFA:

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-reading-a-letter-while-riding-a-crane-parody-of-fei-zhangfang-327390

Lower right frame: The artist is Utamaro I. This is an obvious reproduction. It has the same color of green background as the Sharaku and other Utamaro and likely was printed by the same company at the same time. Also, the colors used are not the soft vegetable colors of Utamaro's time but the more vibrant colors available later. Here is an original print at the Boston MFA:

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/takigawa-from-the-series-array-of-supreme-beauties-of-the-present-day-t-ji-zensei-bijin-zoroe-206353

The value of these prints is decorative only.

Cheers,
Stan

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