"Still possibly post-war"
Email received February 1, 2004
Hi Marc,
I enjoyed your article re: age/dating of the Doi Hanganten seal. I think
it's possible that the offset seal may have been used earlier but I have
some observations to offer that should be weighed into the argument.
There have been several instances of missing Sadaichi prints eventually
identified and showing up so I think there are still opportunities for
others to show up.
Many prints were probably destroyed during the war. The fire storms did
tremendous damage to the entire collection. I also think that
the foreign
market for Japanese woodblock prints were greatly affected by
the war and as
a result, it's quite likely that fewer prints were published during that
time frame. Coupled with the likely loss of whatever inventory
existed, I
think it's still possible that the offset prints could be post-war.
Don Rothenbaum
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