Frederic May Sale 1918
The Frederic May Sale was held over three days in May 1918, at the rooms of the American Art Association in New York City. Afternoon sales featured objects of art, with the evening sales dedicated to Japanese prints.
Among the bidders were many of the major names in Japanese print collecting at the time, including Frederick W. Gookin, Kano Oshima and John Spaulding. Prominent dealers Otto Bernet and Rose Lorenz were also represented.
Given here is a transcription of the sale catalog including the purchaser of each item and the winning bid amount. The information is based on a facsimile scan in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which itself purchased several items. Where the handwritten names or prices cannot be read, the information is omitted or noted as unclear.
Where the provenance can be established, images for each lot are of the actual item sold at auction. It is also noted where the image is possibly of the actual item, e.g. when the current provenance indicates a print once belonged to the purchaser. In most other cases, images are examples of the same print taken from current online collections. In some cases, black and white images from the catalog are used where a color image cannot be found. These are of poor quality and will be replaced if better examples are found.
A note about the prices: the modern collector may be astounded to see such rare and beautiful prints selling for as little as $5.00. What may be more astounding is that based on the consumer price index, $5.00 in 1918 had a purchasing power of approximately $108 in 2024 dollars. The top price was for a bijin picture by Utamaro, bought by Kano Oshima, who paid $410 – the equivalent of about $9,000 today.
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Lot 121. ODE BY SOJO HENJO
Image is an example from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Two noble ladies in a sacred dance in a Shinto ceremony at Court. In fitful path across the sky, / By various winds of heaven forced, / Cloud-borne Otome glideth by — / Now hath the breeze its…
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Lot 122. ODE BY ARIWARA NO NARIHIRA
Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Peasants crossing a bridge over the Tatsuta river in autumn when red autumn leaves tint the stream. O Tatsta ! when th’ autumnal flow / I watch of thy deep ruddy wave / E’en when the stern gods long…
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Lot 123. ODE BY FUJIWARA NO TOSHIYUKI
Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Scene, a great junk sailing on Suminoe bay. Tho’ softly as the waves do break / On Suminoe’s shore I seek / To meet thee, love e’en in a dream, / To dead men’s curious eyes I seem. HYAKUNIN…
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Lot 124. ODE BY ISE
Image is an example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) In a house where tilers are at work upon the roof, a woman and her daughter sit by an open window, the daughter watching the departure of a loved one. Scant are the joints of Ashi reed / That…
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Lot 125. ODE BY MOTOYOSHI SHINNO
Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Two women gazing across Osaka bay. Behind them in the foreground a man is leading a laden carabao. Distracted by my misery / How utterly forlorn am I; / Oh ! that I might thee once more see, /…
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Lot 126. ODE BY KAN-KE (MICHIZANE)
Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) His ox cart and servants waiting for him while he visits a temple on Mount Tamuke. This time, I ween, no need there be / A nusa I should take with me: / The nishki of the maple tree…
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Lot 127. ODE BY TEISHIN KO
Image is an example from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) The monks at Ogurayama welcoming Prince Kane who visits the temple in autumn. How pleasant ’tis the tints to see / Of reddening leaves of momiji / That on Ogura’s summit grow ! / Ah ! did they…
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Lot 128. ODE BY MINAMOTO NO MUNEYUKI
Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Woodsmen in winter warming their hands by a blazing I fire. The hamlet bosom’d ‘mid the hills / Aye lonely is; in winter time / Its solitude with mis’ry fills / My mind, for now the rig’rous clime /…
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Lot 129. ODE BY HARUMICHI NO TSURAKI
Image is an example from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Sawyers at work upon a great log by a stream where a man is raking out maple leaves, and a woman is leading a boy across on a log bridge. The winds of autumn have amassed / Dried…
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Lot 130. ODE BY KIYOWARA NO FUKAI
Image is an example from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (B. 1760, d. 1849) Evening scene. Pleasure boats on a broad river. ‘Twas a summer’s night, I scarcely thought / The evening hours had passed away / When dawn broke; long the moon I’d sought, / Nor knew where ‘mid the clouds…
