GAN: A GAGGLE OF WILD GEESE. [A Color Shin-Hanga Woodblock Print]

[Tokyo 1926], Watanabe. A single Oban sheet, 26 x 38 cm., deckle upper edge, Watanabe publisher's seal in right margin signed Shoson with his red seal [Hanko], see Toledo Museum catalog #181 & illustration. A LIMITED EDITON OF 200 COPIES. "Ohara [Koson; Shoson; Hoson] Matao [his given name] was born at Kanazawa in [1877-1945]. He came to Tokyo where he studied painting under Suzuki Koson and he painted birds and flowers under the guidance of the celebrated American,Ernest Fenollosa, a professor at the Tokyo Imperial Museum. In con- junction with the Daihei print shop, he made bird and flower designs for color prints under the name Kosaon. In 1912, he changed his name to Shoson & only produced paintings until 1926 when he returned to making color-prints,which have been published by Watanabe & sold through their famous shop." . *** Extracted from the 1951 S. Watanabe: CATALOG OF WOOD-CUT COLOR PRINTS BY CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE ARTISTS, p.30; pp30-33 is a list of all Shoson prints, this print is no. 9: "A Group of Geese Near a Pool." This print shows an elaborately embossed feather outline area in grey with blind-stamped areas to make the illusion of feathers realistic, toned with light orange, beaks, legs & feet in orange, yellow & black. Ground grey-green, broken with darker green shadows and shading upward through light yellow-orange to light red-orange. . *** In all six ducks are at play, two very large ducks occupy the foreground, each with shadows. The background is carefully rubbed in a swirling pattern which gives this print a handsome and elegant impression, with the pale pink sky lending itself in to a faint yellow. . *** Expertly printed by hand with the most artistic techniques render this a superb example. Ready for framing and display. . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stephens: THE NEW WAVE, pp 122-125 * BLAIR, Dorothy. MODERN JAPANESE PRINTS: From a Photographic Reproduction of Modern Japanese Prints 1930 & 1936 Editions. Toledo Museum Catalogs 1930, 1936, #181 & illustration. * BROWN, Kendall H. et al.SHIN-HANGA: New Prints in Modern Japan: p.55 and the illustration of this exact print. . *** .