<b>SELF-PORTRAIT</b>Clifton Karhu1987$1,200</em>
ARTIST: Clifton Karhu (1927-2007)
TITLE: Self-portrait
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1987
DIMENSIONS: 12 3/4 x 9 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; tipped onto original mat folder as issued by artist
$1,200.00
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Details
Self-portraits must have fascinated Clifton Karhu, as he depicted himself in a half dozen woodblock designs. In this print, a young Karhu is clad in traditional Japanese attire, a mode of dress he actually kept throughout his life. He is donning a chonmage—an Edo-period men's hairstyle where the top front of the head is shaved, and the back is tied into a top knot. His thick facial hair, however, undermines his traditional dress, as full beards were banned by the Edo period's Tokugawa Shogunate. The artist is holding an Edo period piece of gold currency called a koban. This particular coin has a value of ten ryo, which happened to be a significant amount of money at the time—the current equivalent is about $10,000. Karhu happened to be one of the most successful foreign woodblock print artists working in Japan of his time. Perhaps his pose with this piece of currency acknowledges his success in a centuries-old tradition.
Connoisseur's Note
Although this print is not numbered, Karhu produced these self-portraits in limited quantities as the artist didn't think these designs would be as well-received as his other subjects. As a result, the scarcity of Karhu self-portraits has secured their desirability among collectors.
