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"I invite you to view my personal collection of museum quality
Japanese woodblock prints and Persian & Mogul miniature paintings."  
~Toni L. Hunter, original owner/founder since the early 1970's  

SHOGUN GALLERY AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Due to the current state of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are operating at a reduced capacity.

- To protect the safety of our staff and customers, we will only be opening the Gallery for visitors by prior appointment.   

- The gallery will change operating hours to as-needed during the summer.  We will be checking email daily and voicemail when we go do go into the gallery to check on inventory or ship prints.  Please use email as your primary communications with the gallery.

- INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS may be suspended.  Right now the USPS and other carriers are not accepting shipments from the US to the EU and certain asian countries.  We will monitor this for developments.  Prints may still be reserved for later shipment when restrictions are lifted.

Thank you for your patience at this time


We offer interest-free time payments on purchases!

Custom Framing Services with 100% acid-free mounting, front and back, with conservation clear or UF-3 plexi for shipping

Japanese Woodblock Prints
Persian & Mogul Miniature Paintings

Normal Office hours are Monday-Friday 10am-5pm EST, except in summer: 

 


 Shogun - Frequently Asked Questions

We receive many inquiries regarding our policies.  below are some of the more common questions about the services that we provide.

Appraising Prints

It is always hard to appraise the quality and condition of a print from a photo or description. Whilst we can recognize certain characteristics such as seals and signatures, the only real way to provide an accurate assessment is to see the print, preferably outside any framing. 
 
There are many reasons why it is difficult to ascertain values with just a title and/or artist. The condition of the print must be ascertained, as mint condition is far more valuable than poor condition prints.  Prints framed prior to 1990's were notoriously matted incorrectly using mat boards that contained acid which then transferred foxing or brown spots onto the artwork.  Eventually the entire art becomes browned and toned.  It is seen often when artwork is removed from old frames and you can see the entire design on the board or backing it was matted on; sort of like a reverse negative.   In addition, if a print is faded or trimmed makes a value difference. 
 
The edition, if first or later, also counts - Later editions are usually printed from the same blocks as the original but by a different printer or publisher.  So, it is not as easy a matter as it appears.
 
We do perform appraisals at $50 per print ($45 each for more than 3) for which you get a Certificate of Authenticity and a detailed description of the print.  This would include the information on the print such as the artist, date, publisher, seals, condition and appraised Value. 
 
If you then wish for us to sell the print for you, we would deduct the appraisal payment from our share of the selling price. To set up an appraisal, please email so that we can arrange a time and either have the prints shipped to us or meet with us at the Gallery.  We are located in Falls Church, VA, just inside the Washington DC Beltway, for those who would rather visit for a personal appraisal.
 

Buying & Consigning Prints

We currently sell hundreds of prints and many of these are sold on consignment for others.  Our current consignment policy is to split the cost of the sold print with the consigner receiving 40-60% of the selling price, depending upon condition etc., upon sale of the print.  The selling price would be agreed upon before the prints are listed.

 

Packaging Prints to Ship

To ship prints for appraisal, we highly recommend that they be removed from the frames to avoid damage due to glass or frame breakage during transport. Prints should be protected with acid free paper and shipped with foam protection in a protective cardboard shipping box

It is important to schedule a time in advance for appraisals as we travel often and would not want prints to be shipped with no-one to receive them. 

  

Payment Options

When you order, we will respond via email with the costs for shipping, handling and insurance to your selected  shipping address.  Please do not send payment before this email is received.

We take payment in the following forms:  Personal Check, Postal Money Order, Western Union Money Transfer (for orders under $2000 US - by arrangement) - All payable to Shogun Gallery.  We also accept payment via Paypal which allows you to use your credit card.  

We do NOT accept credit cards directly, only via the PayPal account.  

To pay by PayPal, please add 3.5% For US domestic orders and 4.5% for International orders  to cover our processing charges.  To pay by PayPal, please use their website at http://www.paypal.com and when asked for the recipient, enter "prints@shogungallery.com".  Do not forget to include the PayPal surcharge above in the payment amount.

 

Sending Payment

DISCLAIMER: We will only send prints to you, fully insured, after payment has been received in full.   Please wait for an email quoting the total cost of the prints, including insured shipping before sending payment.  It is embarrassing for both parties to have to hold the print after basic payment has been tendered to wait for the shipping costs.

Payment only, not prints themselves, should be sent to our PO Box.  

Shogun Gallery
PO Box 395
Falls Church, VA 22040

 

Payment Over Time

We do offer an option to make payments over time, interest free.   This payment plan offers a way to bind the desired artwork, without putting a strain on those that want the art. 

How does this work ? The gallery will keep the prints or paintings on reserve until they are paid in full. The buyer sends checks paying off the artwork faster or slower as the situation permits; we offer as much as a year to pay off the balance, without putting a financial strain on the buyer. We keep a running list of payments with date received and check numbers and encourage customers to do the same.  Once the artwork is paid in full, we will ship the prints.

 

Do you ship to ...?

Yes.  With few exceptions, we ship worldwide, but only using the US Postal service.  We ship prints and books, properly packaged, with insurance as needed to cover the cost of the transaction total. Please do not send payment without getting the shipping costs from us.

 

Reserving Prints

All prints up on the site that are not marked sold, are still available. When a print is ordered on the web site, it is marked as reserved.  It remains in that state until payment is received and the print is shipped, at which point the sold print is removed.  Reserved prints may come back onto the site, if the buyer decides not to proceed with the sale.


Discounting

I am sorry to say, however, that I don't discount my prices as most are close to 1989 prices.  I should also let you know that the majority of my prints are in wonderful condition, as they have been stored in bank vaults for almost 20 years.  Those not discounted I like to much myself, and am not in that much of a hurry to sell.  Please don't let the fact that I don't discount prevent you from seeing what I have as I sell to many dealers under the same circumstances 

Satisfaction Guaranteed

If you are not totally pleased with your purchase, please do not hesitate returning it within 10 days, for a full refund, less shipping costs. 

I would rather you be completely happy, so you will order more artwork for yourself or to give as gifts, and possibly even recommend the gallery to your friends and family. 
 

We hope that you enjoy your visit to our web site. Please contact us at prints@shogungallery.com or 703-883-3988 with any questions or suggestions you may have.  Our office hours are Monday-Friday 10-5 EST.

  A Brief History of Japanese Prints

Japanese Woodblock Prints or Ukiyo•e (Pictures of the Floating World), came into being in the middle of the 17th Century, at the end of close to a century of feudal wars. Japan then enjoyed the security and the comforts of peace and prosperity. After a time, the middle class with a sudden excess of money but a minimum of freedom began to enjoy the "life of pleasure." Most of their time was spent in brothels and kabuki theatres. They became extravagant in their dress and general life•styles and demanded a representative art form of their own. Thus Ukiyo-e was born, with it's depiction of this decadent, almost hedonistic society. Sensual courtesans dressed in the most popular and stylish costumes were portrayed and dramatic scenes from kabuki plays dominated the subject matter of the prints.

A Japanese Woodblock Print is said to be the work of the designer, but in actuality it is the combined efforts of three separate artisans -- the artist, the woodblock cutter and the printer. A master artist first draws his design which is then pasted down on a finely prepared cherry woodblock. The woodblock cutter follows the lines with a sharp chisel. He uses so much skill and follows the design with such fidelity that the block, when finished, is a work of art. After that, the block is inked and a sheet of dampened paper is laid upon it. The back of the paper is rubbed until the impression is uniformly transferred on to it. This is called the key print. The key print is then returned to the artist who chooses the colors he wants and where he wants them to go. A separate block is carved for every color to be used in the print. The blocks then go to the printer, who, using mulberry paper, rubs natural vegetable dyes on to the blocks and transfers each impression in register with absolute perfection. The mulberry paper alone can take three months to make. It is considered to be one of the finest papers made. With each passing decade the colors sink further into the fibres of the paper giving each print an even richer tone. The high level of technical achievement combined with pure beauty is a wonder to behold.

During this period when Ukiyo•e was evolving as an art form, Japan was virtually cut off from the rest of the world. It wasn't until Admiral Perry came to Japan in 1854 that Japan's doors "were opened" to the other countries. These lovely "images of a floating world" became popular throughout the civilized world. The art world was immediately captured by the vitality, freshness and charm of the woodblock prints. Since their introduction, they have been avidly collected by such notables as Van Gogh, Gauguin Monet, Frank Lloyd Wright and James Michener, to name a few.

Unfortunately, with the ravages of time, war, fire and earthquakes, few of these priceless sheets of beauty have survived. However, those who are lucky enough to possess these lovely images of a life lived long ago, relish them as an invitation into a world of enchantment, a world that becomes a passion in their minds as well as their hearts. Japanese Woodblock Prints are marvels of line, color, and composition. They have a life of their own and are always a joy to behold.

 

Links

Japan Museums. Links to all the major museums in Japan (with a link to the world's major museums). Japanese museum links with exceptional English presentations.
Tokyo National Museum and Kyoto National Museum 
The Communications Museum
TEPIA stands for Technology Utopia. 
The Toyota Automobile Museum
Science Museum, Tokyo 
The Ainu Museum 
Iwate Museum of Art 
The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama
Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art 
InterCommunication Center 
THE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM - TOKYO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FINE ARTS AND MUSIC 
Art Tower Mito 
Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts 
National Museum of Japanese History 
Miho Museum 
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 
Nara National Museum 
Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka 
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum 
Takagi Bonsai Museum 
Broadcast Museum 
Canon Camera Museum 
Currency Museum 
National Museum of Ethnology 
The National Science Museum, Tokyo 
Ishikawa Japan. History, life, art & culture of this rich region.
Kansai Japan. History, life, art & culture of this rich region.
Kyoto Temples. Images of all the great temples with architectural comments. 
Ryukyus(Okinawa) Japan. History, life, art & culture of this rich region.
Japan Times Online. Current art & culture, and of course current events.
Japanese artists and movements. Ukiyo-e Info. - John Fiorillo's excellent website.
Japanese Art Society of America, Inc.                                                                                           

http://www.bonsaitreeforums.com - Celebrate the beauty of Bonsai and talk about Bonsai gardening.

 

 

http://shinhanga.net  A site devoted to Shin Hanga collecting

 



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