Ohara Koson – Crow on Cherry Branch with Moon

Japanese woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published circa 1930. The current print is from circa 1930s.

The exact history of many Ohara Koson woodblock prints is still clouded in mystery. What complicates tracing the origins of some prints is that a number of woodblock print publishers created reprints with clandestine Ohara Koson designs, but they were not of poor quality.

The current small print seems to be based on a larger design by Ohara Koson. It does not contain any signature, but is a good print. The print is listed in “Crows, Cranes and Camelias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson,” and it is noted that, besides the “questionable prints, it gives also prints without signatures which seem to be genuine Koson designs”, such as the current one. Its quality and the note in “Crows, Cranes and Camelias” still leave us guessing about its creation history, however.

When seeking to buy woodblock prints of Ohara Koson, it is important to check the listing carefully, as not all woodblock prints for sale are described in detail. Often, wordings such as “Genuine woodblock print” are chosen, leaving the exact history undescribed. There is nothing wrong with that, since, as noted with an artist such as Ohara Koson, many histories are simply unknown. However, it’s good to be aware that vague descriptions can lead to ambiguity regarding the actual involvement of the listed artist in creating the design.

Image size (excluding margins): 14.2 * 9.0 cm (5.6 * 3.5 in).

The print is in good state. The paper has mild mat burn. On the back there are remnants of a previous mount in the upper left corner and small number has been written in the upper right corner.

The pictures shown here are from the print itself.

References: A.R. Newland, Crows, Cranes & Camelias. The Natural World of Ohara Koson, 2010, Fig. 48, p. 175.

See an overview of Ohara Koson's woodblock prints