Lot 879: Gekko 1893 Woodblock Print – Tale of Genji Chapter 40

Auction

Estate Auction: Multiple-Estate Liquidation Roseville, CA (151)

Lot Number

879

Status

Sold

Hammer / Price

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Opening Bid

$5.00

Accepted Bids

51

Closed

7/17/25 7:21 PM PT

Description

This is a woodblock print from the late 19th century by Gekko Ogata (1859–1920), titled Chapter 40: The Law (Minori) from the series The Fifty-four Chapters of the Tale of Genji. It illustrates a scene from The Tale of Genji (源氏物語, Genji Monogatari), a classic work of Japanese literature. Gekko Ogata was born in Edo in 1859 and originally went by Masanosuke Nagami. His father went bankrupt when Gekko was seventeen. Without formal artistic training, he began his career as an illustrator for newspapers and books, later expanding into painting, lacquer, and pottery. He adopted the name Gekko in 1884, reportedly at the request of the family of artist Korin Ogata. He was a member of the Meiji Fine Art Society and co-founded the Japan Youth Painting Association with Kakuzo Okakura in 1891. He received a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair for works from his One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji series. His style combined ukiyo-e, nihonga, Shijo-style, and Chinese painting. Other names used by Gekko include Kagyosai, Meikyosai, Nen’yu, and Rosai. It measures 13.25 inches in length by 17.75 inches in height and is in good condition. It was published by Yokoyama Ryohachi and includes Gekko’s signature and seal.