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Flowering Iris
by Shoson Ohara (1877-1945)- Koson

Original caretaker of this artwork: artelino - Japanese prints  Art auctions of Japanese and Chinese prints

	Artist:	Shoson Ohara (1877-1945)- Koson — 小原祥邨、小原古邨
	Title:	Flowering Iris
	Series:
	Date of first edition?:	Not set
	Publisher (first edition)?:	Sakai and Kawaguchi — 酒井川口
	Publisher (this edition)?:	Sakai and Kawaguchi — 酒井川口
	Medium (first edition):	Woodblock
	Medium (this edition):	Woodblock
	Format (first edition):	Oban
	Format (this edition):	Oban
	DB artwork code:	42000
	Notes (first edition)?:
	Notes (this edition)?:	The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies: Thursday, 11 June 2009 Title Flowering Iris provenance: Robert O. Muller estate Artist Koson Ohara 1877-1945 Signature 'Hoson'. Seal Artist's seal ('hoson'). Dated Ca. 1934. Publisher Kawaguchi. Medium/Technique Woodblock print. Impression Excellent - Very good. Colors Excellent. Condition Excellent - Very good … A needle sized hole at the top left margin corner. Slight ink specks on the margins. Description Blue Irises. Note "Kawaguchi" stamped on the right margin. Printer Komatsu, carver Maeda. "Made in Japan" stamped verso. Provenance: Robert O. Muller Estate. Format Oban tate-e Width Item 10.4 inches = 26.5 cm Height Item 15.0 inches = 38.0 cm Width Image 8.7 inches = 22.0 cm Height Image 12.6 inches = 32.0 cm
	Artist Bio:	Ohara Koson (小原 古邨?, Kanazawa 1877 ? Tokyo 1945) was a Japanese painter and printmaker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the shin-hanga ("new prints") movement. He was born Ohara Matao; it is thought that he started training in painting and design at the Ishikawa Prefecture Technical School in 1889-1893. He also studied painting with Suzuki Kason (1860 ? 1919), although accounts differ on whether this happened during his school years or after he moved to Tokyo in the middle to late 1890s. In Tokyo, he produced some woodblock triptychs illustrating episodes of the Russo-Japanese War, but most of his production was prints of animals (kacho-ga). He worked at first with publishers Akiyama Buemon (Kokkeido?) and Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya), signing his work Koson. Starting around 1926, he became associated with the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo, and signed his work Shoson. He also worked with the publisher Kawaguchi, signing his works Hoson. Through his association with Watanabe, Ohara's work was exhibited abroad, and his prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945. (from Wikipedia)