Yusui Toku “Unai” Series — 1978 Shōwa-Era Limited Edition (1 of 50) | Kaga Yuzen Style Japanese Woodblock Print “Yuki / Snow”

This refined modern print from Yusui Toku belongs to the artist’s “Unai” series—a Shōwa-period homage to classical Japanese design. Issued in 1978 as a limited edition of 50, it presents a lone figure working under falling snow, rendered with serene restraint and exquisitely patterned forms that echo Kaga Yuzen textile artistry.

Kaga Yuzen, developed in Kanazawa, is renowned for delicate resist-dye techniques, fine patterning, and naturalistic motifs. Yusui adapts that sensibility to print: crystalline snowflakes float across a deep indigo field while the figure’s cloak is filled with yuzen-like micro-patterns. The result is a lyrical blend of modern Japanese printmaking and Edo-period craft aesthetics.

A short poem on the reverse intensifies the mood of winter yuki (snow)—a classic symbol of purity and quiet reflection in Japanese art. Printed on textured washi paper, this work sits squarely within the Shōwa revival of traditional arts, aligning with the contemplative tone of shin-hanga–inspired design yet speaking in a distinctly contemporary voice.

Rarity & Collector Notes

• Limited Edition: 1 of 50 (1978), Shōwa period (1926–1989)

• Medium: Japanese woodblock print on washi with Kaga Yuzen–influenced pattern work

• Series: “Unai” by Yusui Toku

• Ideal for collectors of modern Japanese prints, Shōwa art, and winter landscapes seeking elegant, minimalist compositions with strong decorative detail.

Bring home a quietly powerful statement piece—where tradition, craft, and modern design meet in a single snowfall.