This is one of two vintage original Karou Kawano - Oban yoko-e woodblock prints that are available in my online store.
These prints were first published as small editions in 1955 – these ones are probably posthumous impressions dating to the later 1960s (so now over 50 years old).
This print shows a stylized image of a young girl wearing a shawl over her head - two woodpeckers climb up her cloak. She is standing so still, perhaps they think that she is a tree trunk?
They are in excellent condition with no damages and are signed with Kawano’s Red Seal Stamp on the front and with a black stamp of the publisher on the reverse, as photographed. These are not later modern photographic impressions – but original prints that are printed on good quality heavy Japanese paper and the ink from the blocks has soaked through to the reverse of the sheet, again as photographed (again not found on reproductions).
Both my prints are in excellent condition and are very fine impressions.
The sheet (uncut) size is 43 x 28.5 cm. The image size is 38 x 23.5 cm
The sheets that they are printed on are in good condition, not glued onto backing boards, and with no tears or condition issues.
They have clean cream-coloured window mounts and both my original impressions are SOLD UNFRAMED so that you can see all the stamps and ink bleed going through the paper, as you find on original works. If you would like it framed before posting, please discuss this with us.
Karou Kawano was born in 1916 in Hokkaido in Japan. He studied art at Kawabata Art School. He established an international reputation and had many solo exhibitions in North America. His favourite subjects were these adorable images of children and animals. His compositions are very stylized and often combine the old traditions of woodblock printing with more modern 20th-century images. He often integrated the grain patterns from the woodblocks themselves into his final designs.
Very fine decorative Japanese woodblocks – with very charming subjects – would look good in a mid-century modern interior.
Listed at a fair price given its good vintage condition.
Postage to you in the UK will cost £10 and this will be applied to your order at the checkout.