Rakusan -- "Hydrangea and Collared Turtledoves (Mid Summer)"

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Artist TSUCHIYA, Rakusan
(1896-1976) (aka Rakuzan)
Title "Hydrangea and Collared Turtledoves (Mid Summer)"
("ajisai ni chousei-bato (seika)")
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; extensive gold metallic flecks left/center; highly detailed carving.
Condition Very Good++.
Clean front and verso.
(Bumping/creasing/wear to outer wide margins; slight toning; few scattered marks; light wear.)
Reference/Illus "Rakuzan" reference, pl #20.
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 # EG-803 (BK-58)
Price Special Pricing $585 (Sold/GS)
(Reg $950, $750)
($1400+ if perfect)