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I know most of us on this Forum focus on porcelains, but there have been a few posts on Japanese woodblock prints as of late (Jeremy posted some great Shin Hanga prints - I'm still quite envious of the Shoson raven print), so I thought it appropriate to tell you of how my failed attempt to buy some Chinese antiques at an estate sale in Orlando turned into a discovery that may very well prove a well supported (and important) theory on the Shin Hanga woodblock print artist, Takahashi Shotei.
So, regarding the estate sale in Orlando, the advertisment showed a rather nice Chinese elephant censor, a rosewood box with jade inlay, a porcelain seated buddha, and a few other odds and ends that would have ended up being quite a good day's catch.
In typical fashion, I always contact the seller to ask if they presell, not expecting that they will offer me the opportunity to buy early, but rather to guage if the seller will honestly sell what they show in the photos. The city of Orlando is about 2 hours drive, not much for me really, but long enough that I wouldn't waste my time or the gas to drive down if the seller replied that items might be pulled from the sale.
Despite several emails and text messages, the seller refused to respond, and since the opportunity to acquire at least one of the pieces seemed likely, my wife and I made the trip to Orlando anyway. We ended up being #2 and #3 on the entry list, but better yet, good fortune seemed to shine on us the day of the sale when #1 never showed.
However, our luck was short lived. The sale started and we entered the house to find the elephant censer was damaged and all the other pieces were pulled from the sale - pre sold to friends of the seller. To make matters worse, while items in the sale are generally clearly marked with their sale prices, the seller started raising prices on the items that I showed interest in buying (that was a first in 10 years of going to estate sales). Seemed to me she was absoutely set on not selling me anything.
Before I completely lost me temper, we left with our dignity, but empty handed, and needless to say I was really annoyed. And while my negativity had me wanting to just go home, I persevered, stopping to check out small antique shops along the way home.
Now, perhaps it was just my pessimism keeping me from enjoying the hunt, but Florida summer heat really makes hunting for antiques miserable and I was quite certain my efforts were being wasted. But then, a rather glorious miracle.
In the very small country town of Umatilla Florida is an old barn that has been converted into an antique mall. It's more of a multi-dealer vintage thrift shop, but as the saying goes....even a broken clock is right twice a day.
And after booth after booth of 'rusty gold', there on the wall of one booth hung a rectangular framed Japanese picture, a night scene of people carrying a lantern through the woods as they came upon a bridge.....BINGO! A shin hanga woodblock print by the artist Takahashi Shotei, or so I thought.
Better yet, the price required absolutely no haggling... I couln't have paid more quickly if I tried.
But upon arriving home, and after examining the work outside of the frame, I have discoved the print is not a print, but an original painting on silk. And better yet, the painting is not just one of tens of thousands Shotei made into the mid 20th c., but a particularly rare scene he created around 1907 in his earliest period (prior to the Kanto earthquake in 1923 that destroyed most of his early works).
The scene is so rare that the only known example is in the Ota-ku Folk Museum, Tokyo. Only the museum's example is a woodblock print.... and mine is the original painting! HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES!?!
Even more interesting is that the painting carries two square red seals that read 'Kakei' rather than the seal 'Shotei'. For the past decade, Kakei has been assumed to the a pen name for Shotei (according to research by Shotei expert Marc Khan), but just a well accepted theory. The theory is based upon the general style of works by both Kakei and Shotei being stylistically so similar. However, there has never been any concrete physical documentation to establish the theory as fact.
Well, the scene of my painting in woodblock form at the Ota-ku Folkl Museum is sealed 'Shotei', but my orignal painting is sealed 'Kakei'. Consequently, my painting provides physical evidence linking the two artist names to the same work - proof positive they are one and the same person.
I've already reached out to Marc Khan to share my discovery, and likely will contact the Ota-ku Folk Museum as I expect they will have an interest seeing the painting, if not acquiring it.
So, while I'm still waiting to hear back from Marc, and the next steps will likely require some physcial inpsection of the painting, I wanted to share with all of you a side by side image of my original painting (left side) and the woodblock print at the Ota-ku Folk Museum (right side).
My appologies for the low resolution -I wish I could provide you all with a large high resolution photo, but unfortunately the only photo from the museum was very small, so I tried to keep the scale of both works equal.
So, perhaps this find will not turn into the lucrative deal I had hoped with the Chinese pieces I intended to buy in Orlando, I feel confident that the discovery of this painting will add some historical value to the field of Shin Hanga woodblock prints, as well as the understanding of an under appreciated master, Shotei.
Enjoy!
Congrats. Beautiful find. It's a shame that that estate company is doing that sort of thing.
@rahawkins The market on genuine Chinese antiques is just too competitive. I know dealers that when they can't make it to a sale, they'll call and leave a ridiculous offer with no intention to pay, just to spoil the sale. It's crazy. I think this will be my last year of running around to go to these out of control events - it's just too stressful.
I usually like the Japanese stuff more anyway. The Chinese stuff that I am able to include on my budget that I still think are worth owning is a small group.
When on the hunt sometimes you get a different prey. However, seldom is the prey a greater find! Well done!
David
Sounds like your day went from bad to fantastic. How exciting! Let us know how it all progresses.
@greeno107 I have mentioned the competitiveness of the market. It’s really a low. But a skill treasure hunting adapts. I find going to sales without Chinese art listed is very productive there is alway one piece not listed.
@lotusblack @musicnus Brian & David, you're absolutely right! You have to be ready to think on your toes, maybe even sprint, to get the job done. I just wanted to convey in my tale to those who might have felt like I had that day (frustrated and hopeless...that there might not be anymore good treasures to find), that dissapointment eventually leads to success if you just keep at it using good methods.
What I also hoped to convey with my story is that this business of searching for lost treasures is 90% dissapointment. To find that 10% reward, you have two choices...passive searching and pro-active searching, and it is a balancing act.
By passive searching, what I mean is that you browse Ebay, Craigslist, or whatever venue lists items for sale, and hopefully (eventually) somebody puts an item of value up for sale, then you pounce. It's not entirely passive since you have to browse a lot of ads, but sitting in my chair for hours drinking coffee as I browse Craigslist is as close as I get to 'passive' activity.
By pro-active searching, what I mean is to get in your car, set a destination (shop, show, estate sale), and go for the adventure. There's a lot more expense of time and money in this type of treasure hunting, but it can be the most fun.
When my wife and I travel on these treasure hunting trips, we really go on the cheap until we get our first hit - we bring a cooler full of ice, water and soda, cold cuts for sandwiches, and snacks. But once we hit our mark and find our first real treasure, we usually celebrate over roast duck (if there's a good Chinese market that sells authentic roast duck) or a steak & seafood dinner if duck is not available.
Anyway...before I start sounding too mushy over my love of the hunt, let me just say that, YES, the Shin hanga painting made the trip.
And, if any of you start to feel down and out as I had, don't hesitate to post (whether or not you turned things at the end). Your positivity (is that a word?) really helped me.
It really means a lot to have the support of so many of you (none of which I've met in person BTW).... I hope to repay the kindness.
Tim
What a very nice find! That painting has an eerie beauty to it, I love it! It's awesome that you actually got the original!!!
I agree with you that we should keep persevering with our treasure hunts. You can't expect to have good days all the time!
Clifford
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