What is and isn’t real

Recognizing prints as copies from the era in which Sharaku lived can be difficult. In this case, the paper used is just a tiny bit harder, which gives it a different look. The only way to compare this with a real print, is to have a real version at home.

Since these reproductions are almost a hundred years old, the backgrounds look old, and it’s difficult to recognize a fake just from that. The black lines on the copies are printed just a bit cleaner, and, sometimes, a bit heavier.