Ito Sozan 総山: Rooster and Hen 鶏 ニワトリ (Sold)

Artist: Ito Sozan伊藤総山 (1884-?)
Title: Rooster and Hen 鶏 ニワトリ 

A rooster turns to eye the viewer, his brilliant white feathers a vivid contrast to his red wattle and comb and his jet-black tail feathers. His head turns to our right while his long tail feathers point to the left and one foot is raised up–this combination gives the bird a feeling of dynamic motion. Meanwhile, a smaller black hen pecks at the ground next to him. This work is beautifully printed, with blindprinting (gauffrauge) in the white feathers of the rooster and what must be lead grey in the red of the rooster’s comb and wattle.  Sozan was a specialist in kacho-e, bird-and-flower pictures. Twenty-eight of his works are listed in the 1936 Watanabe catalog. This is a design that rarely comes to market.

Date: ca 1920s-early 1930s Dimensions: 39 x 17.6bcm
Signature: Sozan Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Mint.

SKU: SOZ009