Kawase Hasui Auction Prices and Value Guide

Kawase Hasui auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 2,567 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Kawase Hasui auction prices: quick answer

Kawase Hasui auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Kawase Hasui
Source records
2,567
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Kawase Hasui

Kawase Hasui (1883–1957), born Kawase Bunjirō in Tokyo, was a Japanese printmaker widely regarded as one of the most important and prolific Japanese print artists of the twentieth century. He is best known as a leading designer within the shin-hanga movement, which revitalized traditional ukiyo-e woodblock printing by incorporating Western-influenced techniques for rendering light, atmosphere, and natural color. Hasui's prints are predominantly landscapes, distinguished by their sensitive treatment of seasonal weather, time of day, and the atmospheric conditions of specific locales across Japan. He collaborated closely with publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, whose workshop produced the majority of Hasui's designs. His work attracted international attention during his lifetime and is now represented in major institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Hasui's landscapes remain among the most collected Japanese woodblock prints of the modern era.

Shin-hangaWoodblock prints (hanga)LandscapesSeasonal and atmospheric scenesJapanese temples, shrines, bridges, and rural views

Common works and media

Kawase Hasui worked primarily in woodblock prints, with landscapes as his dominant subject. Common themes include rural and urban views of Japan — temples, shrines, bridges, coastal scenes, snowscapes, and seasonal landscapes. He produced designs for multiple print series over several decades, each typically featuring scenes from a specific region or travel route. His prints were created using traditional ukiyo-e collaborative methods: Hasui designed the composition, and skilled carvers and printers at the Watanabe workshop executed the woodblock editions. Most individual designs exist in multiple editions, with first editions generally being the most sought after by collectors.

Market and appraisal context

Kawase Hasui maintains one of the deepest and most liquid secondary markets of any modern Japanese printmaker. Appraisily's auction-record index tracks 2,903 total lots with 2,649 priced results spanning from October 2001 through April 2026 — a quarter-century of continuous turnover. The price distribution is wide but well-structured: the interquartile range runs from approximately $700 to $3,500 USD, with a median near $1,600. A long right tail reaches $152,400, reflecting premium early-edition designs and rare compositions that attract competitive bidding at major houses. Recent 12-month volume (364 lots) remains robust, though slightly below the prior 12-month period (437 lots), suggesting a still-active but modestly cooling market. Sales are distributed across at least ten named auction houses, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, and specialist dealers such as Floating World Auctions and Woodblock Prints World, confirming broad institutional and specialist demand. Multiple currencies (USD, GBP, EUR, CAD) appear in recent results, indicating a genuinely international market.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Woodblock prints (hanga)

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • Later and posthumous reprints exist in the market and can closely resemble early editions; professional authentication is recommended for high-value pieces.
  • Values vary widely depending on the specific design, edition, and condition; comparable auction results should be consulted for individual prints.
  • [object Object]

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Kawase Hasui

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Kawase Hasui worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Kawase Hasui artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.