Rakusan -- "Peony and Redpolls (Early Summer)"

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(Click HERE for additional image)
Artist TSUCHIYA, Rakusan
(1896-1976) (aka Rakuzan)
Title "Peony and Redpolls (Early Summer)"
("shakuyaku ni beni-itadaki (shoka)")
Date April 1929-1933 ("First Edition" state, "Learn more")
Provenance Private placement. Consigned by 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 bird and flowers; extensive gold metallic flecks to lower sky area; highly detailed carving.
Condition Very Good.
Clean front and verso.
(Bumping/creasing/spotting to outer wide margins; few scattered marks; slight toning.)
Reference/Illus "Rakuzan" reference, pl #34.
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-56
Price Special Pricing $300 (Sold/GS)
(Reg $750, $575)
($850+ if perfect)