Japanese Woodblock Print, c.1925, published by Shozaburo Watanabe

SIZE IN INCHES: ohosoban, 6.7 x 15 inches

PROVENANCE: from the estate of Robert O. Muller

ITO SOZAN designed prints known for the Tokyo publisher Watanabe Shozaburo. Sozan's speciality was bird and flower prints, or kacho-e, although he also designed some bijin-ga prints. He began working with Watanabe in 1919 and continued to design prints through 1926. This happens to be the same year that another kacho-e artist, Ohara Shoson (also known as Koson), started working for Watanabe. It is not known if Shoson was hired to replace Sozan, or why Sozan stopped designing prints at this time. Watanabe's 1936 catalogue included 28 prints by Sozan.

Fine, no flaws