Tamotsu Yato Auction Prices and Value Guide
Tamotsu Yato auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 481 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Tamotsu Yato auction prices: quick answer
Tamotsu Yato auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Tamotsu Yato
- Source records
- 481
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Tamotsu Yato market snapshot
Tamotsu Yato shows thin auction liquidity with 14 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $300. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 0 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2024-06-15.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (66.7% · 2 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (33.3% · 1 sales)
- $10,000+ (0.0% · 0 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $0
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 0
- Median shift vs prior year
- 0.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2024-06-15
Artist context
About Tamotsu Yato
Born
1928
Died
1973
Nationality
Japanese
Also known as
Tamotsu Yatō, Yato, Tamotsu, 矢頭 保
Tamotsu Yato, also catalogued as Tamotsu Yatō and 矢頭 保, was a Japanese photographer born in 1928 who died in 1973. He is chiefly associated with black-and-white studies of Japanese men and is described by reference sources as an early figure in Japanese homoerotic photography. His documented work places the male figure and Japanese festival culture at the center of his photographic practice. The photo-essay Naked Festival, published in book form with an introduction by Yukio Mishima, is an important bibliographic reference for identifying his work and context. Collectors may encounter Yato through photographic works and publications rather than through a broad range of media. Authority records maintained by Wikidata, VIAF, IdRef, and the Library of Congress help distinguish him from similarly named makers. Precise print dates, processes, publication histories, and edition status should nevertheless be established from the individual object and its documentation.
Black-and-white photographyPhotographic books and photo-essaysThe Japanese male figureHomoerotic studies of menJapanese festival culture
Common works and media
Yato is best documented for black-and-white photographs centered on the Japanese male figure, including homoerotic imagery, and for the photo-essay Naked Festival. Photographs, photographic reproductions, and book-format material may therefore appear in appraisal contexts. For any example, determine the photographic process, image and sheet dimensions, print date, whether it is vintage or later, edition status, inscriptions, condition, and provenance rather than assuming that visually similar images are equivalent.
Market and appraisal context
The collected Appraisily market extract is limited: its data-basis section reports 15 matched records, only four with recorded prices, across 2023–2026 and an observed range of $225 to $1,750. These figures should not be treated as a price forecast. An appraisal should compare the same photographic medium and dimensions, then consider date, condition, provenance, inscriptions, edition or printing details, and attribution confidence. A photograph's documented relationship to a publication such as Naked Festival may also be relevant, but that connection must be demonstrated through the object and supporting records. Public comparables are most useful when lot descriptions, work characteristics, and the treatment of buyer fees are genuinely comparable.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Photography
Value drivers
- Medium, dimensions, date, and printing or edition details should be compared with closely related works.
- Condition, restoration history, and surface quality can affect comparison with public auction results.
- Signatures, inscriptions, provenance, exhibition history, catalogue references, and attribution confidence require object-level verification.
- A work's documented relationship to Naked Festival may provide relevant publication context.
- Recent public auction results are useful only when medium, size, date, condition, provenance, attribution, and fee treatment are comparable.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context is based on collected public records: medium confidence, adequate source quality.
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.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Tamotsu Yato 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 Tamotsu Yato artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.