Details

With File-Fish (Kawahagi), Bakufu Ohno invites the viewer into a gentle drift along the seabed, where three filefish move leisurely through a reef garden of swaying sea grass, starfish, and soft anemones. Rendered with pale greens, silvery blues, and soft ivory tones, the scene evokes a sense of quiet marine life undisturbed. The fish are rendered with careful anatomical observation—their spotted skins and angular, armor-like profiles harmonize naturally with the spiraling fronds and speckled sea floor.

The composition, though highly detailed, floats with an organic lightness. Ink wash effects and controlled bokashi gradation give the print its atmospheric depth, suggesting movement in water and the gentle stir of currents. The rounded forms of the starfish provide a visual counterpoint to the sharper angles of the fish, creating a balance between form and environment.

Connoisseur's Note

File-Fish (Kawahagi) is part of Bakufu Ohno’s celebrated series Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume 1 (1938), a suite of woodblock prints that blend natural science with refined design. A gifted painter of flora and fauna, Ohno approached this project with a naturalist’s eye and an artist’s imagination. The series aimed to depict common Japanese fish species with both accuracy and lyrical beauty, reflecting the nation’s deep cultural and economic connection to the sea.

Unlike traditional kacho-e, which often focused on birds and flowers, Ohno’s work in this series brought attention to the beauty of the underwater world, elevating its creatures to subjects of fine art. Each print was produced with the support of master carvers and printers under the direction of Kyoto publisher Kyoto Hanga-In, known for its exacting standards and exquisite production.

This particular impression retains its original color brilliance and finely executed embossing on the bodies and fins of the filefish and the silver mica background that advances the underwater sensation. Especially notable is the subtle modeling in the sandy textures and the flowing, mist-like strands of vegetation—hallmarks of the Shin Hanga tradition, but here channeled through a more modern, almost decorative lens.

File-Fish (Kawahagi) is not only an exceptional example of Showa-era marine illustration—it is a graceful expression of the underwater world as seen through the eyes of one of Japan’s foremost naturalist-artists. A highlight from an increasingly sought-after series.