WOOD BLOCKS - This can be Confusing. Antique Prints

When I was a small child I played with wooden blocks that had the alphabet and numbers on them. It was great fun spelling words and adding up the numbers. People told me that wood blocks brought a lot of money at auction. This confused me, because I wondered how that could be. Yes, some of the block sets could bring several hundred dollars if they had beautiful graphics on them, but I didn’t think that was what they were talking about. I was right.

In the art world, there are a group of works called "Woodblocks" that are very special. These prints are made by first carving out patterns in wood then inking these blocks and placing the ink onto paper. Each color in this process is applied by its own block. Some pictures may require as many as ten or twenty blocks to complete the picture.

The Chinese did this type of work, first, a round 220 A. D. There are also records of the Japanese and even the Egyptians printing in this manner. Later, many artist from other countries started to produce these images, and they became very popular. Today it is not unusual to find Wood Blocks at auction that bring $10,000 or more.

Once you have seen several of these prints, it becomes easy to identify them. I have to admit, I personally enjoy looking at them. The work involved in producing these pieces require great artistry plus time. I think they should command great valve if they are well done.

If you have spent the time in your search to acquaint yourself with the names of the better artists that produced these "Wood Block" masterpieces, don’t be surprised that the asking prices may be rather low. This can play to your advantage. Why? Because there are very few people that have the knowledge to spot these items of value.

Let me give you a few examples: A Gustave Baumann, 11 by 10 inch print will commander prices of $7,000 to $15,000. A Helen Hyde 20 inch piece, $2,000 to $5,000. An Abraham Abramovitz 14 ½ by 10 inch print, $3,000. II could go on and on

Be sure to check every frame you see whether it is hung on the wall or not. You might find a real treasure sitting in someone's basement on the floor. Add these to your list of things you want to know. This just might prove to be wise judgement on your part.


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