Agatsuma Gorge

Artist: Kawase Hasui

Name: Agatsuma Gorge

Date: 1943

Description: August 20, 2004 — “Shoichiro Watanabe Explains “Azuma Gorge” – One Print with Two Dates of Origin” Recently, a reader of Ukiyoe-Gallery.com sent to us an email exchange between himself and Shoichiro Watanabe (the present day owner of the S. Watanabe Color Print Company, and grandson of founder Shozaburo Watanabe) which seems to offer a somewhat reasonable explanation as to why a single Hasui print image, “Azuma Gorge,” exists with two DIFFERENTLY “margin-dated” states (both 1943 and 1947) as mentioned in our May 2003 article, “Hasui’s “Azuma Gorge” – One Print – Two Dates of Origin?” This 1943 and 1947-dated “Azuma Gorge” print is shown just below. As he was himself curious about how and why this “double-dating” could happen, this reader simply and directly asked this question of Shoichiro Watanabe. (Gosh…… we’re wondering now…… Why didn’t we think to do that??) Here is the pertinent portion of his email to Shoichiro: “…..I also wondered about the date, as “Agatsuma (Azuma) Gorge” is listed as being carved in 1943, but is the date on the print margin 1947?” Here then is Shoichiro’s somewhat longer, explanatory reply: “Azuma Gorge is located in Saitama Prefecture and is very small. Agatsuma Gorge is located in Gunma Prefecture(north of Saitama Pref.) and is very big. Hasui had traveled to Agatsuma but not to Azuma. (The note of the “Complete (Hasui) Catalogue” by Hotei Publishing is wrong.)” “In 1943, S. WATANABE CO. finished the test printings (only a few copies) for this design. As you know, in 1943, toward the end of the World War II, S. WATANABE CO. lacked for the paper and all the materials for printings. In addition, printers had to go to War. So we could not do it at all.” “We could made printings of this on 1947 at last, 2 years after WWII. So there are two types of the date (1943 and 1947). Therefore, the prints dated 1943 is quite few.” “Although our new “atozuri” (posthumous printing from original blocks) print is dated “Showa 22 nen” (1947), we do say this is dated 1943 the same as in the “Complete (Hasui) Catalogue” by Hotei.” “If any question, please ask me again. I will do my best to answer you.” Sincerely, Shoichiro Watanabe S.WATANABE COLOR PRINT CO.

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