Callas
White line woodcut printed in colors, 1925, from a small edition; 15-20 impressions. 12 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb, luminous impression with wide margins printed on a white textured paper. The condition is fine apart from two exceedingly faint stain lines in the upper corners of the margins. Rice did a few prints of Calla Lilies and this is one of the very best. This print is illustrated on page 52 of "William S. Rice: California Block Prints" by Roberta Rice Treseder. The impression in this book appears to pale in comparison to the one we are offering here. Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing. The white line technique, which he used for making this print, originated in Provincetown, MA. Only one block is needed to make the print. Ex-collection: Reba White Williams, New York.
$5,000

Pink Orchids
Woodcut printed in colors, 1927, edition about 15-20. 9 1/16 x 12 1/4 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression on Japanese paper. The condition is fine apart from a small paper loss at each corner of the top margin, away from the image. This is a stellar example of Rice's work. He designed, cut and printed his own blocks without assistance.
$4,000

Primroses
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1920, small edition. 9 x 12 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression of this rare print. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. Rice produced several floral images with a dark background as we have here. Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing.
SOLD

Ships of Yesterday
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1926, edition probably about 15. 10 1/2 x 8 3/8 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on wove paper. The margins are modest but this appears to be the full sheet as printed. The condition is fine apart from two old paper hinges at the top corner margins. There's a very similar image by Rice bearing the same title. It's illustrated on page 69 of William S. Rice, California Block Prints by Roberta Rice Treseder (2009). The location for this print is most likely the Oakland Estuary.
$1,800

Snowed In - Calaveras Big Tree Hotel
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1930, edition probably about 15. 8 3/4 x 12 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression in very good condition. The margins are substantial and probably untrimmed. This print came to us in the original mat and there is just a faint trace of discoloration within the old opening and old paper tape hinges at the top corners, recto. The outstanding California woodcut is exemplary of Rice's best work in the medium.
$3,000

Spatterdocks
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1930, edition probably about 15. 8 1/8 x 9 1/8 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on japanese paper. The margins appear to be full. The condition is fine apart from two subtle stain lines just touching the upper corners of the image. This is barely noticeable in the mat. This rare print is from the collection of Reba White Williams, NY.
$3,500

Western Dogwood
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925-30, edition probably about 15-20 impressions. 11 1/8 x 9 in. Signed and titled in pencil. Here we have a fine impression printed on thin Japan paper. The margins appear to be full. The condition is fine apart from a few reinforced wrinkles in the upper right corner of the image. These are not at all noticeable. This print is, at least in part, a white line woodcut. The artist also added hand coloring to the flower buds. Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing. Ex-collection: Reba White Williams, NY.
$2,800

Yellow Calla
White line woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925, from a very small edition. 9 1/4 x 6 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb, luminous impression printed on fibrous Japanese paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (The original paper tape hinges are at the top corners, recto.) Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing. The white line technique, which he used for making this print, originated in Provincetown, MA. Only one block is needed to make the print.
SOLD