Bakufu: Three Rosefish (Kasago) (First Edition) (Sold)

Artist: Ohno Bakufu (1888-1976)
Title: Three Rosefish (Kasago) (First Edition)　カサゴ
Series: Great Japanese Fish Picture Collection 大日本魚類画集 (Dai Nihon yorui gashu) (Volume 2)
Date: 1939, May
Publisher: Nishinomiya Shoin

First edition printing of three Japanese Rosefish resting on the seabed. Bakufu Ohno designed 72 prints in his “Art Portfolio of Familiar Fishes of Nippon”, which was published by the Kyoto publisher Nishinomiya Shoin in five volumes between 1937 and 1941. This is number eight from Volume two.  Works from this series are highly appreciated for their attention to detail and the extremely high printing quality. This type of scorpionfish has a spiny dorsal fin and what seem to be spined points on the head. Here the eyes and heads have mica details on very specific areas of each fish. Later editions were printed by a different Kyoto publisher (Kyoto-Hanga-In), but those works lack the finesse of the first edition.

The woodblocks for the series were carved by Fujikawa Zosai and printed by two printers, Mitsumoto Joho and Negita Mannen. Each design was limited to an edition of 500  and the volumes were distributed under a subscription system.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Printed on heavy, deluxe paper. 
Dimensions: oban (28 x 39.4 cm) cm
Signed: Bakufu

Sealed: Carver's name "Fujikawa" and Printer's name "Mitsumoto" with a red seal, lower left corner. 

SKU: BAK009