'Chawan ' Embossed Woodblock Print by Maki Haku (巻白) (Japan) 1981

Maki Haku (1924–2000)

Chawan, 1981

A beautiful and quietly contemplative colour woodblock print with embossing by Japanese printmaker Maki Haku. 

Born in Tokyo in 1924, Maki is best known for his distinctive embossed prints, which combine traditional Japanese printmaking techniques with a highly personal, modern visual language.  Maki developed a technique using a mixture of paper pulp and cement to create raised surfaces on the paper before printing. Often referred to as cement-relief prints. Rather than depicting dramatic landscapes or scenes, he often focused on simple everyday objects such as tea bowls, lanterns, doors and architectural forms, reducing them to their essential shapes.

Chawan (the Japanese word for a tea bowl) is a wonderful example of this approach. Printed in 1981, the work combines a subtle cement-relief embossing with delicate colour and texture, creating an image that feels both tactile and serene. The silver ginkgo leaf motif sits quietly against the softly textured surface, reflecting the Japanese appreciation for simplicity, craftsmanship and the beauty found in ordinary objects.

This example is signed, titled and numbered 10/130 in pencil and bears Maki’s personal red seal. It is presented in a silver aluminium frame and remains in very good condition.

A thoughtful and beautifully executed work by one of Japan’s most collected twentieth-century printmakers.

Condition

In very good condition. Presented in a silver aluminium frame.

Dimensions

Plate size: 23 x 20cm