Rakusan -- "Red-crowned Crane and Chicks (Late Spring"

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(Click HERE for additional image)
Artist TSUCHIYA, Rakusan
(1896-1976) (aka Rakuzan)
Title "Red-crowned Crane and Chicks (Late Spring)"
("Tanchou-zuru to Hina (Banshun)") (aka,"Downy Goose")
Date April 1929-1933 ("First Edition" state, "Learn more")
Provenance Private placement. Consigned by the family of Air Force serviceman John Kinney stationed in Tokyo 1946-57.
Series "Rakusan's Birds and Flowers"
(a 100-print series)
("Raku-zan Ka-chou Ga-fu")
Publisher Self-published
Seal, Carver/Printer Bears "6-kanji First Edition watermark" in lower margin ("Raku-zan Ka-chou Ga-fu")
Image Size LARGE 13 x 18 5/8
(plus wide margins)
Impression Very Fine. Skillfully executed "bokashi" shading; light "gauffrage" (embossing) to feathers; gold metallic flecks to sky; highly detailed carving.
Condition Good++ to Very Good.
Clean front and verso.
(Soft vertical centerfold; minor bumping/wear to outer wide margins; slight toning; light wear.)
Reference/Illus "Rakuzan" reference, pl #15.
Comments Colorful "kacho-e" (bird and flower) image. Rakuzan's 100 "Birds and Flowers of Japan" prints were sold via private subscription, with designs issued monthly from April 1929 until completion in 1933. During production, Rakuzan apologized to his subscribers for delays resulting from his difficulty in finding artisans capable of producing these large and technically complex images.
A RARELY seen print.
Item # BK-49
Price $550 Special (Sold/JW)