Research and Articles

Dating Tsuchiya Koitsu Prints and Artwork
The good oil on how to date your Koitsu prints!
Japanese Woodblock print Publisher Catalog Database
Do you need to know the official titles of your Bakufu Ohno or Kiyoshi Saito prints? Interested in the history of the publishers and distributors Kyoto Hanga-In, Watanabe, Doi Hangaten, or the Red Lantern Shop? The following catalog database (under construction) will contain a large selection of catalogs by the major shin-hanga and modern woodblock print publishers and distributors. The database currently contains catalogs by Kyoto Hanga-In and The Red Lantern Shop, with catalogs by Doi, Watanabe, and Yoseido to be added in the future.
Doi-published Koitsu Print Cross-reference
Having spent considerable time over several years compiling this extensive database of Tsuchiya Koitsu prints published by the Doi publishing house, Tosh Doi has now graciously made it available on Koitsu.com.
Exciting find of Koitsu's Ushigome hanshita - does a Sadaichi version exist?
Tosh Doi surprises us yet again with his finding of a rare hanshita of Tsuchiya Koitsu's 'Evening at Ushigome' print. The hanshita contains significant differences to the oldest known version of this print containing the Hangaten - Harada - Yokoi publisher seal combination, suggesting that, indeed, a Teiichi (Sadaichi) version of this print may exist!
Analysis of 4 examples of Tsuchiya Koitsu's Benkei Bridge prints
There has been constant speculation in the shin hanga world regarding the order of use of Doi publishing seals. In this analysis of four Koitsu prints we attempt to determine the approximate dates and order of usage of these seals (continuing research).
Unmasking a mystery seal on one of Koitsu's chuban prints
Unmasking a mystery seal on one of Koitsu's chuban prints
Sometimes a print may contain a seal whose origin and meaning may be unknown. Such was the case of a seal on a chuban Koitsu print that I had purchased. These 'mystery' seals can be fun to decipher!
Determining the approximate publishing date of Doi-published shin hanga prints
When I was about to make my first purchase of eight Tsuchiya Koitsu prints, I called upon two shin hanga experts, Marc Kahn and Dr Andreas Grund, to help me determine the prints' approximate printing dates. Read their evaluations here.
Mount Fuji in woodblock prints
An image gallery of woodblock prints that feature Japan's Mount Fuji.
Who was Toko?
Update 2009: See my Koitsu Raisonne for a research article identifying this artist. The identification of the artist who used the ga 'Toko' remains a mystery even today. Was he/she Kawase Hasui? Tsuchiya Koitsu? Ishiwata Koitsu? Or simply ... Toko?. As a future research project I plan to undertake analysis of handwriting samples from the few Toko prints that exist to hopefully help shed some light on this very interesting person.
Meiji/Taisho Era Lithographic Kuchi-e prints
A discussion of printing techniques used for late Meiji and Taisho era kuchi-e prints.

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