Sarah Seippel | November 15, 2024

Imagine this: You’re in town visiting one of your favorite flea markets. It’s a typical day, and you’re not expecting to find anything out of the ordinary. However, there’s always a slight anticipation that you might stumble onto something exciting. The tables are filled with familiar faces because you are there so much that you’re practically a local. As you stroll the rows, you visit a reliable source. Naturally, you begin to banter but quickly get to business; time is money. A piece of Japanese art catches your eye, but not for any reason other than you like it. Life is too short not to buy things that you want, so you buy them.

But what if I told you that after nearly two decades, you discover that that seemingly mundane piece of art was an original by one of Van Gogh’s favorite Japanese artists? And what if I told you this is almost precisely what happened to a man like you?

Before Van Gogh, His Japanese Muse

My father, Will Seippel, founder and CEO of WorthPoint, was visiting a dealer friend during an annual trip to Kennebunk, Maine. This friend was known for consistently producing something of high interest or value, and the visit that led him to a piece of Japanese art was no different. Before you guess what the artwork was, let me give you a clue: The artist played a vital role in inspiring Van Gogh. If you aren’t familiar with Van Gogh’s muse, let me explain.

Van Gogh found much inspiration from the Japanese woodblock printer Utagawa Hiroshige. Often, Japanese art, and Asian art in general, is overlooked and frequently undervalued, which makes sense because, during this time (1853), Japan had essentially been closed off from the rest of the world for nearly 200 years. Japan was threatened to open trade with European nations. To avoid conflict, the country complied, and trade brought woodblock prints to the Western world, allowing Japanese motifs and styles to be appropriated by European artists, leading into the modern art period.

To the untrained eye, Asian art can be challenging to price. Even in this instance, my father only purchased the artwork because he thought my sister would enjoy it, as she is passionate about Japanese culture. The value of an original Vincent Van Gogh is common knowledge; however, do you know how to appropriately value antique artwork that inspired many of these impressionists?

The Market Today

The style of Japanese art that capitalized on many well-known Western artists is termed ukiyo-e, which translates to “pictures of the floating world.” Over the last decade, this art style has become more popular, with Hiroshige tending to be a more well-known, famous name.

Prices can vary depending on a variety of factors. Reprints will generally be priced lower than original work, and rarer items can also fetch a higher price.

Is It Even Worth Taking a Look

How do you know if the price is right? Before you dive deep to see if what you found is worth anything, you want to look at two things. First, examine the artwork for pigment dots. You might need a magnifying glass to look closely; however, seeing dots is a sign that the artwork is a product of the modern printing process.

Next, look for ink bleed-through. When you turn over the back of the art, do you see ink bleeding through? Bleed-through is when the ink from the front has led to the back of the art—an indicator of the woodblock print process. If the artwork shows ink bleed-through, you might have something of value. Before you run off to pour a cold one to celebrate, check out the five factors below to help you determine if the price is right.

5 Key Tips to Identify Valuable Woodblock Art Like a Pro

Although contacting an Asian art specialist or appraiser never hurts, you don’t always have the time to do so. If you come across a woodblock print in the wild, here are a few things you can examine before deciding whether to skip or swipe.

1. Print Quality: Examine the print’s black lines. If the lines are broken and thin, that indicates that the woodblock itself was older and of lesser quality, making for a lesser-quality piece of art. Vibrant colors are also an indicator of a well-preserved piece. If the colors are faded, their value can be affected. Additionally, damage from trimmed borders, glued backing, mold, dirt stains, and wrinkles and folds can all decrease a print’s quality and overall value.
2. Artist: When encountering a Japanese woodblock print, you can use online art databases and groups to identify the artists and the artwork’s title. Some of the most famous artists included Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), and Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806).
3. Original Art: Reprints are generally less valuable than original art. Using the WorthPoint Price Guide, we can see how the price differs between an original print and a reproduction. For example, in 2020, this rare original Hiroshi Yoshida woodblock print ‘Fujiyama from Gotemba’ sold for $36,450 on eBay, but in 2016, a reprint only sold for $14.75. You can typically identify if your print is an original by looking for the publisher’s mark.
4. Hot or Not? Just because the art is from a famous artist doesn’t necessarily mean it will fetch a high price. Each artist has a series that is more popular than others. The more popular the series, the higher its value. For example, artwork from Hiroshig’s most famous series, The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido (1833-1834), will generally be priced higher than his series, Famous Views of Kyoto (1834-1835).
5. Trending: The final factor to consider is what is trending. Using resources like the WorthPoint Price Guide can be helpful because you can search your topic and sort the listings by “sold date: most recent” to see what is selling today.

Happy Hunting!

Could it be possible that you already have your own Japanese treasure tucked away in your home? After purchasing the piece in Maine, it remained in my family’s rental property until my father decided to sell the house in 2019. Many of his antiques and collectibles were relocated to his home in Florida; however, after Hurricane Ian hit, his possessions were relocated to a storage unit.

It wasn’t until this particular piece of art was gifted to my sister that he finally discovered its worth. All this time, my father owned a first-edition print from Hiroshige’s 100 Scenes of Eto series. 

Who knows, maybe you have your own treasure hiding right under your nose.

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