Yozo Hamaguchi Auction Prices and Value Guide

Yozo Hamaguchi auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 930 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Yozo Hamaguchi auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Yozo Hamaguchi
Source records
930
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Yozo Hamaguchi

Yozo Hamaguchi (1909–2000) was a Japanese printmaker widely regarded as the leading modern exponent of copper-plate mezzotint. Born in Japan and active in Paris from the early 1930s, Hamaguchi devoted his career to perfecting a technique that had fallen out of widespread use, transforming it into a vehicle for richly colored still-life compositions. His prints pair precisely rendered fruit, butterflies, and other small subjects against deep, velvety black grounds, creating a luminous contrast that became his signature. Over a prolific career he produced hundreds of editions, and his work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Collectors encounter Hamaguchi's prints frequently at auction, where his distinctive mezzotints remain among the most recognizable works in the modern Japanese print category.

20th-century Japanese printmaking; mezzotint revivalmezzotint (copper-plate engraving)color intaglio printstill lifeanimalsfruit and everyday objects

Common works and media

Hamaguchi worked almost exclusively in color mezzotint on copper plates. His typical output consists of small-to-medium editioned prints depicting still-life subjects: butterflies, cherries, sliced papaya, watermelon, apples, snails, and other natural objects rendered in saturated color against a characteristic black background. He also produced occasional intaglio prints and portfolios. His prints are generally pencil-signed and numbered in small editions.

Market and appraisal context

Yozo Hamaguchi's prints have a deep and well-documented auction history spanning 551 recorded lots from 1991 through April 2026, with 323 carrying realized prices. His work trades regularly at top-tier houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, and Swann Auction Galleries, as well as specialist dealers such as Floating World Auctions, RoGallery, and Rachel Davis Fine Arts. The price distribution is wide: the interquartile range runs from roughly $560 to $3,200 USD, with a median near $1,250. Smaller mezzotints in common subjects (butterflies, single fruit) typically sell between $300 and $1,000 at regional houses, while larger or earlier compositions in signed, numbered editions from the 1950s–1960s can reach $700–$2,500 at mainstream auctioneers. Liquidity is steady—10 lots appeared in the most recent 12 months versus 11 in the prior period—indicating consistent but not speculative demand. The category is firmly established in Prints & Multiples and Modern Japanese Prints.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Prints & Multiples
  • Modern Japanese Prints

Value drivers

  1. Mezzotint prints with bold color contrasts and velvety black grounds are Hamaguchi's most recognizable and sought-after format
  2. Edition size, plate size, and whether the print is signed and numbered affect value significantly
  3. Institutional holdings (MoMA and others) support sustained collector interest
  4. Subject matter—butterflies, cherries, sliced papaya, snails, and similar motifs—is a distinguishing factor among his prints
  5. Edition size and plate dimensions: smaller editions and larger plates generally command higher prices; many Hamaguchi prints are editioned at 50 or fewer
  6. Subject matter: butterfly, sliced fruit, and snail compositions tend to generate the strongest demand; atypical subjects like landscapes (e.g., Roofs of Paris) can perform differently

Appraisal caveats

  • The source pack does not include specific auction records or realized price data; consult individual lot histories for price guidance.
  • Condition is especially important for mezzotint prints, as the velvety black plate tone is easily damaged by surface abrasion or foxing.
  • The reported maximum price of $3,600,000 likely reflects a JPY-denominated lot that was not currency-normalized; most individual Hamaguchi mezzotints sell well below $10,000 USD. Treat the upper tail of the distribution with caution.
  • Price distribution statistics (min, p25, median, p75, max) are computed across mixed-currency lots (USD, EUR, GBP, JPY) and may not represent pure USD equivalents without normalization.

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 Yozo Hamaguchi

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Yozo Hamaguchi 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 Yozo Hamaguchi artwork?

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