Details

In this dramatic large-scale design, a flowering wisteria gracefully descends to meet a great tit in mid-flight. The bird's open wings allow it to hang and observe something below well beyond the confines of the composition. The wisteria is rendered quite accurately, while their dramatic posture echoes spontaneous sumi-e compositions. The strong woodgrain in the background adds a strong three-dimensionality to the print, providing depth and advancing the composition's action further into the viewer's grasp.

Connoisseur's Note

Measuring 19 ¾ inches in length, this nagaban-size print has the presence of a kakemono scroll. Koson elected to produce this outstanding design on a much larger scale than his normal tanzaku formatted works. Koson did not produce many designs in this size, as the oversized format was much more expensive. As a result, these larger-size prints are exceedingly rare and quite sought after by collectors.

The print has never been framed or displayed for extended periods. As a result, it is in an outstanding sta