Unsigned / Unknown Artist (1600 - Present)

There are some works that arrive in our collection by unknown artists, while there are others that may lack a signature, but can be attributed to a known artist after careful research. Certain genres, such as Meiji-period photography and shunga (erotic prints) frequently fall into this second category. It is difficult to identify early photographers because photography studios did not include credits in souvenir albums, many of which featured numerous photographers. In addition, photographers often bought the negatives of others and reproduced them as a part of their own portfolio. When attempting to make attributions, photographs with no credits are compared to the few that have attributions. Turning to shunga, nearly all ukiyo-e artists produced erotic prints, yet these prints are often unsigned to avoid trouble with the law. For these works, attributions are generally made based on stylistic analysis.

Japanese Woodblock Prints (1600 - 1800)

Early ukiyo-e, or pictures (e) of the floating world (ukiyo), emerged around 1660 with monochrome prints. The masters of this “primitive” period, such as Moronobu and Masanobu, are known for their elegant and vital lines. By 1700, the first early color prints emerged. Hand-colored with vegetable-based pigments, this process proved costly and was replaced by full-color printing in 1765. Known as the father of color printing, Harunobu ushered in the era of nishiki-e, or brocade pictures, with sensitivity and subtlety. The late 18th century welcomed a “golden age” of ukiyo-e, during which time artists developed the use of color and diversified their approach to subject matter. Sharaku imbued his actor portraits with a greater sense of individualism, while Utamaro delved deeper into the “greenhouses” of the Yoshiwara, considering the private lives of courtesans. Browse our collection of early ukiyo-e below.

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Availability

  • Available
  • Archive

Price

990480

Artist

  • Buncho
  • Eiri
  • Eishi
  • Eisho
  • Harunobu
  • Hokusai
  • Kiyomitsu
  • Kiyonaga
  • Kiyotsune
  • Koryusai
  • Masanobu
  • Masayoshi
  • Morikuni
  • Moronobu
  • Sharaku
  • Shigemasa
  • Shuncho
  • Shundo
  • Shunei
  • Shunjo
  • Shunko
  • Shunman
  • Shunsho
  • Sukenobu
  • Toyokuni I
  • Utamaro
  • Unsigned / Unknown Artist

Subject

  • Actors & Theater
  • Beauties (bijin-ga)

Period

  • 1600 - 1800 (Early Edo)

Medium

  • Woodblock Print

Size

  • Extra Small (ie. Koban)
  • Small (ie. Chuban)

3 Products

Seated Beauty: Egoyomi for 1799

Unsigned / Unknown Artist

Seated Beauty: Egoyomi for 1799

JPR-210809

$990.00
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Kabuki Actor Segawa Somenosuke as Takao

Unsigned / Unknown Artist

Kabuki Actor Segawa Somenosuke as Takao

JPR1-57647

$480.00
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Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunojo

Unsigned / Unknown Artist

Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunojo

JPR1-57652

SOLD