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GOLDFISH (KINGYO) / Bakufu Ohno
1938
RESERVED
Goldfish (Kingyo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Goldfish (Kingyo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Details
The flowing fins of the goldfish drift through the composition like silk ribbons carried by an unseen current. Brilliant passages of vermilion, orange, and dark gray animate the their soft elegant forms, while translucent fins dissolve gently into the surrounding water. Ohno's mastery of line is especially evident here, where every curve contributes to a sense of effortless movement and grace.
There is an almost dreamlike quality to the image. The fish appears suspended within a world of still water and filtered light, recalling the quiet surfaces of garden ponds where reflections mingle with living forms. Through subtle color transitions and refined printing, Ohno transforms a familiar ornamental species into an image of extraordinary elegance.
Connoisseur's Note
Unlike many species represented in Familiar Fishes of Japan, the goldfish occupies a unique position within Japanese visual culture. Admired for centuries as an ornamental creature, it became associated with gardens, summer festivals, and the pleasures of cultivated domestic life. Its popularity extended beyond natural history into the realms of decorative arts and painting.
The goldfish also offered artists a subject through which to explore movement, color, and visual delight. In Ohno's hands, the species becomes an embodiment of beauty itself, demonstrating how the most familiar subjects can become vehicles for artistic invention.
More prints by Bakufu Ohno:
Mebaru (Rockfish)
Bakufu Ohno (1888-1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan; Vol. 1 No. 7
MEDIUM: Woodblock Print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 5/8 x 11 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
LITERATURE: Reita Hirase, Akira Tomita, Hiroko Shimizu, Art Portfolio of Fishes by Bakufu Ohno, 2013
SOLD
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Flying Fishes (Tobiuo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888-1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan
MEDIUM: Woodblock Print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 11 x 15 5/8 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note—tipped onto original presentation mat; not framed
LITERATURE: Reita Hirase, Akira Tomita, Hiroko Shimizu, Art Portfolio of Fishes by Bakufu Ohno, 2013, pl. 58
SOLD
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Lobster
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock Print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 11 1/8 × 15 ¾ inches
CONDITION: Excellent; vibrant and vivid colors; no problems to note
NOTE: Second edition
$950.00
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File-Fish (Kawahagi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock Print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 11 1/8 × 15 ¾ inches
CONDITION: Excellent; crisp impression with vivid color and silver mica background; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition, with publisher’s circle and rectangular seals
SOLD
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Flying Fish
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock Print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 11 1/8 × 15 ¾ inches
CONDITION: Excellent; crisp impression with vivid color and silver mica highlights; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition, with publisher’s circle and rectangular seals
SOLD
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Boxfish
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
MEDIUM: Sumi on paper
DATE: 1940s
DIMENSIONS: 49 × 8 ½ inches (image), 73 × 9 ¾ inches with mount
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: Original painting mounted as a hanging scroll
RESERVED
Lobster (Iseebi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Bera
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold and silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Sea Bream (Tai)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold and silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Sea Bream (Tai)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold and silver metallic pigment
SOLD
Carp (Koi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Mackerel (Saba)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Brocade Carp (Higoi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Sea Robin (Hobo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Striped Isagi (Shimaisagi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1937
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver and gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
File-Fish (Kawahagi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
File-Fish (Kawahagi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: Early second edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Goldfish (Kingyo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Crucian (Funa)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Flying Fish (Tobiuo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
SOLD
Flying Fish (Tobiuo)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Rainbow Trout (Nijimasu)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Rainbow Trout (Nijimasu)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver and gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Rockfish (Mebaru)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Flounder Flatfish (Karei)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Flounder Flatfish (Karei)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume I
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 15 × 10 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold metallic pigment
RESERVED
Catfish (Namazu)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume II
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1938
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
School of Higai Fish
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume II
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1939
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold and silver metallic pigment
RESERVED
Oikawa
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
SERIES: Familiar Fishes of Japan, Volume II
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1939
DIMENSIONS: 10 × 15 inches
CONDITION: Excellent; no problems to note
NOTE: First edition; gold and silver metallic pigment
RESERVED


c. 1930s
RESERVED
Carp (Koi)
Bakufu Ohno (1888–1976)
MEDIUM: Sumi and mineral pigment on paper
DATE: c. 1930s
DIMENSIONS: 17 × 20 inches (image), 52 x 26 inches with mount
CONDITION: Light staining in image
NOTE: Original painting mounted as a hanging scroll
RESERVED