Shiro Kasamatsu Auction Prices and Value Guide

Shiro Kasamatsu auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,461 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Shiro Kasamatsu auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Shiro Kasamatsu
Source records
1,461
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Shiro Kasamatsu

Shiro Kasamatsu (1898–1991) was a Japanese printmaker, engraver, painter, and illustrator whose career spanned two of the most important modern Japanese printmaking traditions. His art name was 笠松紫浪 (Kasamatsu Shiro), while his real name was 笠松四郎 (Kasamatsu Shirō). Active during a transformative era for Japanese graphic arts, Kasamatsu trained and produced work in both the Shin-Hanga ("new prints") and Sōsaku-Hanga ("creative prints") styles of woodblock printing. The Shin-Hanga movement relied on collaboration between designer, carver, and printer, while Sōsaku-Hanga emphasized the artist's direct control over every stage of production. Kasamatsu's ability to work across both philosophies makes his body of work distinctive among twentieth-century Japanese printmakers. With over 1,400 works documented in auction records, he is a frequently encountered artist for collectors of modern Japanese prints.

Shin-HangaSōsaku-Hangawoodblock printing

Common works and media

Kasamatsu's documented output consists primarily of woodblock prints created in both the Shin-Hanga collaborative tradition and the self-carved Sōsaku-Hanga manner. His prints are typically executed on washi paper. With 1,461 works appearing in auction records, the breadth of his body of work suggests a range of subjects and formats. Collectors may also encounter his illustrations in published books, as noted in Library of Congress authority records.

Market and appraisal context

Shiro Kasamatsu's work trades in an active and liquid international auction market. Appraisily auction records index 477 lots with 395 carrying realized prices, spanning from April 1993 through March 2026. Volume has been remarkably stable: 51 lots in the most recent twelve months versus 52 in the prior twelve-month window, indicating consistent collector demand and steady supply. The price distribution shows a wide but accessible range: a floor of $25, a 25th percentile at $160, a median of $275, a 75th percentile at $450, and a ceiling of $4,826. The bulk of transactions cluster between approximately $160 and $600 USD, making Kasamatsu an approachable entry point for collectors of modern Japanese woodblock prints, with exceptional impressions or sought-after Shin-Hanga subjects commanding meaningfully higher prices. Sales are dispersed across specialist and generalist auction houses, with Eldred's, Floating World Auctions, Christie's, and Woodblock Prints World appearing most frequently. Recent titled lots reference well-known subjects such as Shinobazu Pond (night rain and rainy evening variants), Nikko Sacred Bridge, Yanaka Pagoda, Rice Planting, and Garden of a Zen Temple, suggesting that iconic landscape and temple views form the core of his traded output.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • woodblock printing
  • Japanese prints

Value drivers

  1. Movement period: Shin-Hanga (collaborative) versus later Sōsaku-Hanga (self-carved) works may affect collector demand differently
  2. Condition factors typical of Japanese woodblock prints: foxing, fading, trimming, impression quality, and color saturation
  3. Presence of artist seals, signatures, and publisher marks aid attribution and affect value
  4. Edition, printing order (early versus later impressions), and provenance history
  5. Movement period: Shin-Hanga works published by Watanabe Shozaburo or Unsodo typically carry a premium over later self-carved Sōsaku-Hanga prints, though the latter have a distinct collector following
  6. Condition: foxing, fading, trimming (especially if margins are removed), toning, and creasing directly affect value; unrestored prints with full margins are most desirable

Appraisal caveats

  • Later re-strikes and reproductions of popular Japanese woodblock prints exist in the market; attribution should be verified carefully.
  • The source pack does not include specific auction records or realized prices; market observations above are general to the category of modern Japanese woodblock prints.
  • Price data reflects auction results only and does not capture private sales, gallery retail, or online marketplace transactions, which may differ significantly.
  • Some recent lots sold in CHF and GBP; all statistical measures (median, quartiles, min, max) mix currencies without normalization, so the stated dollar figures are approximate composites rather than pure-USD medians.

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 Shiro Kasamatsu

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Shiro Kasamatsu 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 Shiro Kasamatsu artwork?

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