Ohara Koson, "Cicada on a Willow Tree"

A cicada, richly detailed in the carving and printing, clings to the side of a willow tree set against a bright yellow backdrop. In Japan cicadas and their distinctive mating calls herald the coming of summer.

Date: ca. 1910s
Size: Tanzaku
Publisher: Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya)
Condition: Excellent/fine color and condition

Ohara Koson (Shoson) (1877-1945) was the master of kacho-e (prints of birds and flowers) during the shin-hanga period of woodblock prints in Japan. Trained as a painter, Koson's work exquisitely captured the raw beauty of nature and many of his bird prints are iconic in Japanese design.