Twelve Scenes of Famous Places - Lovely print from a series of twelve landscape views originally designed by Hasui for the Haibara paper shop in the 1930s. The Tokyo publisher Kato Junji acquired the rights to the designs in 1935 and printed them in a limited edition of 300 sets. Luckily, the blocks survived WWII and were later discovered in the family warehouse of Takahashi Harumasa IV, who was the original printer for the series. In 1988, the Takahashi family received permission from Hasui's daughter to produce a second edition of 200 by the publisher Ayumi shuppan, printed from the original blocks with slight modifications. These beautiful second edition prints faithfully reproduce the subdued colors and fine bokashi shading of the first edition. Since first edition woodblocks from the series are extremely rare, these great second edition designs are a wonderful option. 

Himeji Castle - Lovely view of Himeiji Castle at night, the tower rising against the deep blue evening sky above trees silhouetted in black. Clouds shaded in gray and blue drift across the sky, emphasizing the height the great fortress and adding a sense of movement to the design. A handsome composition with deep, rich color.

Artist - Hasui (1883 - 1957)

Image Size - 9 3/8" x 9 3/4" + margins as shown

Condition - Excellent overall with no issues to report.