Ohara Koson – Sparrow on Hortensia

Japanese woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published between 1910 and 1920. The current print dates from around the 1930s

Sparrow on Hortensia is one of Ohara Koson’s most famous designs. Its composition with the hortensia looming large brings out the beauty of the flower, and at the same time has an endearing effect with the bird small beneath it.

The current version is the one most commonly found, even if not encountered very often. There is a much rarer version published before however and the exact publication history of the current design is unknown. Perhaps partly owing to the continued popularity of the design, a very high quality reprint of the rarer version was made in 2021.

Image size (excluding margins): 34.3 * 18.4 cm.

The print is in good condition, but there are some spots due to aging in the margin and right on the border of the image. There is also a spot above the bird to the right of the leaf, and a couple of other very mild ones. Overall the state is good.

The pictures shown here are from the print itself.

See an overview of Ohara Koson's woodblock prints