Editor’s Note
Heritage Auctions has announced complimentary preview sessions in Tokyo for its upcoming Japanese woodblock print auction. The previews will be held in two sessions in early September, offering a chance to view approximately 100 works by masters like Utagawa Hiroshige.
Heritage Auctions (Headquarters: Texas, USA) will hold free preview sessions at its Tokyo office ahead of its Japanese woodblock print collection auction scheduled for late September. The previews will take place from September 4 (Wednesday) to September 6 (Friday) and from September 9 (Monday) to September 11 (Wednesday). Attendees will have the opportunity to view approximately 100 works by renowned Japanese artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige and Yamamura Kōka, and to examine their condition firsthand. Notably, Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” which is featured on the new 1,000-yen banknote, will be on display exclusively from September 4 to 6.
In July of this year, Japan issued new banknotes for the first time in 20 years. The reverse side of the new 1,000-yen note features Hokusai’s iconic “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” a masterpiece by the Edo-period ukiyo-e artist, chosen for its high recognition and influence on artists worldwide. Japanese art forms like ukiyo-e are highly regarded internationally, with major museums around the world holding extensive collections and regularly hosting exhibitions. Woodblock prints are among the most popular forms of Japanese art globally. Heritage Auctions is hosting these free preview sessions at its Tokyo office to provide an opportunity for people in Japan to engage with these valuable works up close, without glass barriers.
The works available for preview are part of the upcoming “Japanese Woodblock Prints: The Nelkin Collection Part II Signature Auction” on September 25 (Wednesday) and the planned “Part III” auction next March. The late Ruth Sylvia Nelkin was a collector renowned for her discerning eye and exquisite taste across various fields, including representative Japanese prints, fine antique jewelry, Fabergé and Russian works of art, French art glass, and American landscape paintings. Most works from the Nelkin Collection have not been on the market for over 30 years. Proceeds from the auction sales will be donated in full to charities close to the Nelkin family, such as the American Red Cross and Greenpeace.
Furthermore, in handling the Japanese art pieces from the Nelkin Collection, Heritage Auctions has compiled the works for this auction with the assistance of Ms. Satoko Hori, an independent consultant and specialist in Japanese art with over 30 years of experience in the Asian art field.
Dates & Times: September 4 (Wed) – 6 (Fri), September 9 (Mon) – 11 (Wed), 10:00 – 17:00.
Location: Heritage Auctions Tokyo Office, 6F, Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6306.
Reservation Method: Those wishing to attend the preview are requested to contact in advance by phone (03-6257-1131) or email ([email protected]).
Collection: “Japanese Woodblock Prints: The Nelkin Collection Part II Signature Auction”
Previewable Items (Partial List): Katsushika Hokusai “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” from “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji”; Utagawa Hiroshige “Snowy Sumida River” (triptych); Gyokutei Beisai “Willow Bathhouse” from the series “Yanagiya Hokkei Willow Series”; Kubo Shunman “Tea Bowl and Plum Branch” surimono; among others.
For other items, please visit: https://ha.com/8152