Why Take a Course on Japanese Prints?

Daphne L. Rosenzweig, ISA CAPP 

It’s not too late to join my two-day seminar, “The Appraisal of Japanese Prints” to be held in Sarasota, Florida, June 19-20, 2017. The course introduces the important cultural, historical, stylistic, technical and valuation factors that affect the appraisal of 17th to 21st century Japanese prints. As an author of numerous publications, frequent lecturer, museum consultant, and organizer of traveling exhibitions, my work in the field of Asian art has allowed me to build a wealth of knowledge around appraising Japanese prints that I am looking forward to sharing with all my students.

It's common for appraisers to come across Japanese prints during the course of a general appraisal of household contents, an estate division, insurance scheduling or intended donation. After taking my course, students will be well-equipped to offer their professional opinion on these items as necessary.

During our in-classroom days on June 19 and 20, we'll examine important provenances, influential designers and designs, formats, structures, major narratives, and condition factors, always with an eye as to how these factors affect the value of an individual print. Both new and experienced appraisers will find a perfect combination of connoisseurship and practical market experience in this engaging seminar.

Some of the questions this course will answer include:

• How can you differentiate heroes from villains, men from women? 
• How has the West influenced Japanese prints, and what has the West learned from those prints? 
• Who are the most important artists?
• How do you detect and what do you do about reproductions?

Don’t forget there will be an additional field trip day on June 21, where I will be leading a tour of the fabulous collection of traditional and modern Japanese woodblock prints at The Ringling Museum of Art.

For a preview of what we'll learn in this seminar, The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, has wonderful video documentation on the making of a Japanese print. You can view each section at your own speed. I'm looking forward to seeing you in June!

- Daphne L. Rosenzweig, ISA CAPP