Gallery 4B: Prints by Azechi Umetarō

Azechi Umetarō (1902-1999) grew up in a rural farming community and initially received his art training via an art correspondence course located in Tokyo. He eventually moved to Tokyo and was mentored by the sōsaku hanga artist Hiratsuka Unichi. Azechi was an avid mountain climber. Depictions of mountain men are a recurring theme is his artwork.

Many of Azechi’s prints were published by Chikuhōdō which remains in business today.

Azechi, like many sosaku hanga artists, also designed ex libris, examples of which can be viewed in Gallery 12

The following woodblock prints are tipped into special edition of the book Works of Azechi Umetaro, Vol. 2. Sanyo, Mountain Poems, published by the Green Flute Mamehan Association in 1980. This book is No. 26 of 60 copies. The book includes an Ex Libris, a print noted to have been related to a Christmas card, as well as nine images that are described as calendar prints. Several of these prints are duplicates of others in the collection noted above which were indeed acquired as calendar prints.. The book also notes the original date of issue of each print. Each print is associated with a poem written by the artist.

Azechi prints are often seen reproduced in different formats such as within calendars, magazine inserts, greeting cards, as well as prints tipped into books. They are often listed as being untitled or assigned titles by collectors and/or dealers. It is likely that prints continued to be published years after their original publication, perhaps even using recarved blocks. This book is helpful in identifying the original print dates as well as the titles provided by the artist.

The following woodblock prints are tipped into a special edition of the book Collection of Umetaro Azechi's Works 6. The special edition of the book was limited to 60 copies, of which this one is No. 34, and published in 1980 by Green Flute Mamehan Association. The book includes an Ex Libris, a print noted to have been related to a Christmas card, as well as nine images that are described as calendar prints. Several of these prints are duplicates of others in the collection noted above which were indeed acquired as calendar prints.. The book also notes the original date of issue of each print. Each print is associated with a poem written by the artist.

Azechi prints are often seen reproduced in different formats such as within calendars, magazine inserts, greeting cards, as well as prints tipped into books. They are often listed as being untitled or assigned titles by collectors and/or dealers. It is likely that prints continued to be published years after their original publication, perhaps even using recarved blocks. This book is helpful in identifying the original print dates as well as the titles provided by the artist.