Orig Japanese Woodblock Print Clifton Karhu Limit# PENCIL Every Year Is a Good Year

This is a very beautiful LIMITED NUMBER (9/200) ORIGINAL Japanese woodblock print “Every Year Is a Good Year” PENCILS SIGNED by the Kyoto woodblock print celebrity Clifton Karhu (1927- 2007) made in 1972.  This woodblock print is one of the core collections of a large number of Asian art and Japanese woodblock print collections in my family.  We are gradually selling them.   From US Navy Serviceman to missionary to local celebrity and an icon of the ancient city Kyoto Japan, Clifton Karhu is one of the most renowned 20^th century legends.  Clifton Karhu was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1927. From 1946 to 1948 he was stationed in Sasebo, an American navy base in Japan - located between Nagasaki and Fukuoka. Back in the USA, Clifton studied at the Minneapolis Art School from 1950 to 1952.  After a while he became disillusioned with the clergy and in 1958 he resigned his post as a missionary and returned to arts. Karhu settled in Gifu prefecture. He made oil paintings and watercolors that attracted some attention with local art exhibitions. By and by his reputation grew. In 1961 he won the first prize of Chubu Taiheijo Bijutsu Kyokai Ten (The Middle Pacific Art group Exhibition). The same year he had his first single exhibition in the Shin Gifu Gallery in Gifu prefecture. In 1963 Karhu moved to Kyoto. The old residence of the Japanese Emperor is a kind of Japanese “Mecca” for the arts. Here in Kyoto Clifton got interested in woodblock prints. One year later he had his first woodblocks exhibited in the Yamada Gallery. This has marked the beginning of a successful career as a woodblock print artist. Numerous exhibitions followed in Japan, the U.S.A. and in Europe.   The art of traditional Japanese woodblock prints seems to have a magic force of attraction to Western artists. Clifton Karhu has become one of the most successful contemporary Western artists working in Japanese woodblock style since 1950s.  UNFORTUNATELY, HE PASSED AWAY IN KYOTO IN 2007. He certainly will be another Charles Bartlett, Elizabeth Keith, Berth Lum, or Paul Jacoulet in the passion of Japanese woodblock prints.  The information of Clifton Karhu and the price of his original woodblock prints can be found on any search engine on Internet and websites.  The size of this woodblock print is 11 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches.  The colors, which are vivid and vibrant, are in layers.  All four borders are intact.  The ORIGINAL PENCIL SIGNATURE of “C Karhu” , the year this print was made “72”, and THE LIMITED NUMBER 9/200, and a writing “OX” are at the lower left corner of the print while his two chop marks and the title of this print in English “EVERY YEAR IS A GOOD YEAR.” are at the upper left corner and another chop mark and Kanji writing of the title of the print are at the right side of the print.  This woodblock print is not attached to any backing paper or cardboard and strong ink bleeding can be seen through the back of the original Japanese mulberry paper.  Except for some tape residuals at the backs of the top left and right corners and along the bottom edge of the border in the back of the print as you can see, that penetrate to the front in some extent due to the print’s age, this woodblock print is in good condition.  It is hard to find an original Clifton Karhu’s woodblock print of such a special scene in the public nowadays.  It is definitely an incredible piece for collecting.  It is hard to find a LIMITED-NUMBER (9/200) original Japanese woodblock print of such a beautiful and rare scene PENCIL SIGNED by the famous Showa woodblock print master Clifton Karhu in the public nowadays.  This woodblock print is definitely an incredible piece for collecting.  Any credit card, visa, master card, bank and post office money order, cashier check and personal check are accepted.  Personal checks will take about ten days to clear.  Texas residents need to pay 8.25% tax.  Shipping is $16 dollars anywhere in US via USPS priority mail with insurance and tracking.  International shipping charges are US$25 through airmail WITHOUT insurance, buyers will have to assume all the risks during the mailing.  We do combined shipping.  If more than one item is purchased at the same time, the highest shipping cost will be charged. THIS IS A LIMITED-NUMBER (9/200) ORIGINAL JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINT PENCIL SIGNED BY THE FAMOUS KYOTO WOODBLOCK PRINT CELEBRITY CLIFTON KARHU MADE IN 1972.   IT IS NOT A RE-CUT, REPRODUCTION, OR LITHO PRINT.