Koson 小原古邨 : Copper Pheasant and Waterfall in Snow (SOLD)

Artist: Ohara Koson (1877-1945)
Title: Copper Pheasant on Snowy Rock
Date: ca. 1910

A copper pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringiii) perches on a snow-covered outcropping, its beak parted as it calls, perhaps to its unseen mate. Along the left side of the design a beautiful stream of icy water flows down in a smooth flow in a notch in the background cliff. We feel the muffled quiet of winter in this exquisitely painterly work, with the brushstrokes somehow still emanating through the woodblock printing process. The work would have a different feeling if two birds were shown, so it seems an apt artistic decision to not picture a second bird, although the viewer almost senses to be nearby. Note the beautiful woodgrain in the background grey, and the extremely subtle bokashi. The catalogue raisonné notes that the painterly qualities of this design are reminiscent of the painting tradition of the Kano school artists. Scarce to find in this condition.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Never Framed
Dimensions: 36.7 x 19.1 cm  Publisher:  Daikokuya (Matsuki Heikichi)

Reference: Amy Reigle Newland, et. al, Crows, Cranes & Camellias; The Natural World of Ohara Koson 1877-1945, 2001, number 38, page 63, and checklist K21.16.. See Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art.
Seal: Koson

SKU: KOS257