Japanese Woodblock Ito Sozan Fireflies ca. 1920s Rare Crepe Paper Shin Hanga

Description: Ito Sozan Fireflies Woodblock printed on crepe paper. Approximately 13.5 x 6". Block signed by the artist (see detail image.) Publisher unknown--possibly Shozaburo Watanabe. Some age mellowing to the paper, otherwise Fine condition. There is little documentation available about the life and career of the artist known as Ito Sozan. He was born in the year 1884, but his date of passing is not known. The woodblock prints he designed for the famous Tokyo publisher Shozaburo Watanabe are well documented, but his later career (if he had one) remains shrouded in mystery. The woodblock print of fireflies offered here is a prime example of the artist's highly refined creative sensibility and aesthetic philosophy. Seemingly an exercise in design simplicity, this print is, in fact, a brilliantly realized counterpoint to the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi (the recognition of beauty within imperfection.) For example, try to arrange two sets of three fireflies within a confined landscape and come up with an arrangement more seemingly perfect than the one the artist offers us. Not easy. This impulse to depict a brief moment of perfection (blink and the fireflies will have moved on) is one that is present in many of Sozan's brilliant prints of the natural world. While this print in its usual presentation is not rare to the marketplace, this particular variant, printed on crepe paper, does appear to turn up far less often. The creping process is in itself fascinating, but the Japanese, who were masters of the art, tended to use it more frequently in woodblock printed books than on individual woodblock prints. A beautiful print that will add variety and interest to any collection of Japanese woodblock prints. The Fine Print: I try to be fully accurate when describing the condition of the items I sell. As far as books go, I will always disclose the usual suspects: soiling and/or foxing to the text block, endpapers, or binding materials; owner names or gift inscriptions; underlined or highlighted passages in the text; remainder marks, price-clipped dust jackets, library markings and/or card pockets; bumped corners, general wear and tear, etc., etc…. Unless I miss something, if I do not mention them, you can safely assume they are not there. Every Item I sell is guaranteed to match the description written above. A refund, including shipping, will be issued for any items that do not. Please contact me through Bay messaging should you have any questions before you bid or buy. I will be happy to respond with whatever information I may have. and finally… All items will be shipped carefully packaged in a sturdy box to guard against damage while in transit. Thank you for your interest.

Price: 275 USD

Location: East Barre, Vermont

End Time: 2024-11-30T17:32:28.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD