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Woodblock Print (Ukiyo-e) Production
Traditionally, woodblock printing used to be a collaborative process between an artist, carver, printer and publisher. The artist would create the initial brush drawing, select colours and determine their placement within the print. This would be passed on to the carver who would meticulously carve a relief into several wooden blocks. Consolidated, these blocks would create a cohesive image, as a separate woodblock is required for each colour in woodblock printing...
About Inro and Netsuke
Sagemono is a collective term describing all types of containers and pouches that could be suspended from one’s belt, which were often accompanied by a cord fastener (ojime) and a toggle (netsuke).
Inro are small containers that could be roughly described as the handbags or pouches of ancient Japan. They had both practical and aesthetic value. Though they usually were square, round or polygonal in shape, a variety of special animal shapes also exist. Over time, these containers came to be extremely luxurious...
Japanese Art Highlights
About Us
Japanese Gallery Kensington holds one of the largest collections of Japanese Art and Antiques. Browse our catalogue for original woodblock prints, exquisite ceramics, lacquerware, inro, netsuke, Japanese swords, sword accessories and more.
Established in 1977, the gallery is currently located in the world renowned antiques district of Kensington, at the heart of London. Entering the gallery is like visiting a museum, except it is possible to hold the objects that fascinate you in your hands. We regularly advise and assist in authentication for museums, auction houses and educational institutions.
Through the beauty of Japanese art and antiques, the Japanese Gallery promotes and exhibits a wide selection of Japanese craftsmanship. We house a variety of contemporary art, as well as showcasing traditional woodblock print ukiyo-e. We also stock several different art objects. These range from ceramics such as Satsuma, Izumo, Imari, Kakiemon wares, to wood carvings of netsuke and Noh masks, lacquerware, Suzuri-bako, Inro, Yoroi, Katana and Tanto.
Currently, the Japanese Gallery is known for having the widest collection of Japanese art online, particularly Japanese woodblock print ukiyo-e and Japanese original anime cel-ga.
Our social media provides regular news, updates and educational posts about Japanese art and culture. Clients can keep up to date on Japanese Gallery’s Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube.
Japanese Gallery also organises live events and exhibitions in collaboration with embassies, museums, and corporations. For those that are interested in keeping up to date with relevant news and information you can follow us on social media as well as sign up to our newsletter.
Japanese Gallery endeavours to continually make learning and collecting accessible to all using our ecommerce platform. All items on our website are fully vetted and authenticity guaranteed, providing peace of mind when purchasing any artwork.
Orders placed through Japanese Gallery Kensington are processed Monday-Friday 10 am to 6 pm GMT (excluding bank holidays) and are shipped 1-3 business days from when the order was placed, pending payment authorisation and verification.
All orders are shipped using DHL Express service free of charge.
Payment methods accepted:
For those interested selling their Japanese art, please visit our auction platform.
Please see the link below for more information:
Guide to Standard Woodblock Print Sizes
Hosho paper (奉書紙) is a washi (和紙) paper made of mulberry tree bark fibres and was commonly used for the production of Japanese woodblock prints. It was strong enough to withstand the pressure of a tool called the baren (馬連) when it was rubbed over the paper, but was soft enough to allow pigment to penetrate it.
Japanese woodblock prints, also known as ukiyo-e, have traditionally been made in specific sizes and formats based on the typical dimensions of...
Kunisada I Utagawa was a prolific woodblock print artist mostly known for his pictures of beautiful women (bijinga) and kabuki actors prints (yakusha-e)....
Hasui Kawase was one of the important printmakers of the shin-hanga movement and is best known for his landscape artworks. Born in Tokyo, his family was well-connected in literary circles....
Tsukioka Kogyo was a Japanese artist of the Meiji period. He was a student and adopted son of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and also studied with Ogata Gekko...
Utamaro Kitagawa is one of the most significant figures in the history of Japanese art. He is best known for his bijinga (prints of beautiful women) and a series of nature studies...
Learn more
Restoration services are provided by the Japanese Gallery depending on the item. This service is strictly limited to Japanese woodblock prints ukiyo-e only. We do not provide or recommend any other service providers of restoration. Services provided by third parties may not adhere to Japanese Gallery’s standards or the satisfaction of the client.
Japanese gallery also has an auction department, JG auction, where a vendor can sell their Japanese works of art through this platform. JG auction will provide cataloguing, digital imaging, and a guide price for the item in question including a reserve price that is agreed with the vendor, the item will be submitted into the next nearest auction date where appropriate.
Japanese Gallery Kensington is a member of and proudly supports the following organisations:
