I’m selling a pair of beautiful antique Japanese Woodblock Prints that came from Frank Lloyd Wright’s own collection on ebay. The auction start tonight and ends on July 17th. The item number is 230151605778.
The prints were acquired from the estate of Helena Gervais McCullough in Oak Park in May of 2006 and their provenance indicates they originally came from Frank Lloyd Wright’s collection. The McCulloughs were hardware store owners and were friends of the Wright’s through the Unitarian Church. The story goes that they were exchanged for debt on hardware merchandise.
This estate was AMAZING in that they never threw anything away. Four or five generations of stuff was stored in this house. The attic was like a set piece including antique wedding dresses, porcelain and toys from decades past. They had this massive collection of glass slides and a big old antique slide projector that I had my eyes on. I missed the first two days of the auction and when I finally got there most of the stuff was gone. These prints were behind a door - forgotten.
I knew there was a relationship between Mr. Wright and the family and the framing was so consistent with Wright's choice from that period.
There's a contemporary letter from the estate’s executor attached to the prints recounting the family’s story that they were given in exchange for credit on a debt.
The framing, subject and the curious matting and condition all are consistent with the period 1898 – 1910 yukioe of the period and other pieces from Wright’s collection.
Print number one shows a male and a female actor playing with a ball. Dimensions are 10 inches wide by 31.6 inches long including the frame.
Print number two is 12.5 by 29 inches and shows a beautifully dressed musician adjusting hair while she balances an instrument – a traditional shamisen – or 3 stringed lute.
Japanese prints like this (also known as Ukiyoe – or “floating world”) were very important to Wright. He bought and sold thousands of them.
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