Snow Bird on Willow Tree (Egret on Branch) — 柳としらさぎ
by Nishimura Hodo

	Artist:	Nishimura Hodo — 蒲堂
	Title:	Snow Bird on Willow Tree (Egret on Branch) — 柳としらさぎ
	Series:	Bird and Flower series — 花鳥
	Date of first edition?:	1937/7
	Publisher (first edition)?:	Takemura Hideo — 竹村
	Publisher (this edition)?:	Takemura Hideo — 竹村
	Medium (first edition):	Woodblock
	Medium (this edition):	Woodblock
	Format (first edition):	Oban
	Format (this edition):	Oban
	DB artwork code:	41098
	Notes (first edition)?:	Here is further evidence that Saito Hodo is Nishimura Hodo. Title: Egret on Willow Branch -- very rare -- Artist: Hodo Nishimura active 1930s Description: "Yanagi to Shirasagi". A white egret is standing on a leg on a willow branch. A rose bush is seen behind. Black background. Seal: Artist's seal (Hodo). Dated: Ca. 1930's. Publisher: Takemura Hideo. Medium/Technique: Woodblock print. Impression: The egret's feathers are partially embossed. Width: Item 11.0 inches = 28.0 cm Height: Item 16.1 inches = 41.0 cm Width: Image 9.4 inches = 24.0 cm Height: Image 14.6 inches = 37.0 cm
	Notes (this edition)?:	The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies: Saturday, 15 December 2007 This is what appears to be a pencil and watercolor from a Japanese artist S. Hodo, titled Snow Bird on Willow Tree. The image size is 9 ½ X 14 ¼ “. The sheet size is 11 X 16”. It has markings along the sides, in Japanese, which I assume are signature, title, date… The colors are excellent, there is a tape mark on the bottom left edge, and some tears on the top, none of which affect the image. Please see photos. I’ve attempted to do some internet research, and the following is all I was able to come up with, The artist Hodo is quite unknown. We know he was born in 1879, but his death date is not recorded anywhere. He is known for two series of oban (38 x 25 cm) prints of birds and flowers made in the 1920s. He has made numerous paintings of the same subject. If your watercolour is the same size as for the oban prints, it might be a preparatory watercolour for the print which was quite common practice. However, since I have no background in art, this may in fact be a Japanese Woodblock. Ōban (大判, large size)(39x26.5cm) - the most common sheet size. When I look through a loop, it looks like an original pencil and watercolor, however, all the images appear to be raised from the black background, so perhaps a woodblock
	Series Information:	See http://www.rakusan.net/htgallery.html
	Artist Bio:	Nishimura Hodo is most likely the watercolour artist Saito Hodo. See my discussion of Saito Hodo here.