Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson 1877-1945

Little is known about the print artist Koson, whose career commenced at a time when the Ukiyo-e print tradition was dying out and the shin hanga ('new print') movement had not yet begun. He received little recognition in Japan but many of his prints of birds and flowers, characterised by their peaceful charm, were sold abroad, mainly in the United States and Europe, where things Japanese found an eager market. Japan only recently honoured Koson with an exhibition, organised after the discovery of some valuable material, including many of his original paintings and sketches. This book about Koson is the first Western publication of his oeuvre of prints and paintings, based upon a private Dutch collection. It provides all known information on the artist's life and work, his teachers and publishers, facsimiles of his signatures and seals and illustrations of an estimated ninety percent of his total print output. The definitive reference book for Koson collectors.