Itô Sôzan (1884- ?)
A young beauty with her umbrella on a snowy winter’s day; over her head a sparrow is teetering on the branch of a weeping willow.
Untitled
Signature: Sôzan
Seal: Sozan?
Publisher: Watanabe, Tokyo
Date: c. 1919-26 (presumably before 1923)
Size: Vertical Ôtanzaku (Mitsugiri), 38,2 x 17,2 cm (overall)
Excellent strong impression and colours, with glossy overprinting (shômenzuri) in the hair. Very few minute spots, light age toning. Overall excellent condition.
Bottom verso stamped Watanabe inventory number „No 905“.
A very beautiful and extremely rare early Shin Hanga print.
Only very few copies of this print are recorded, e.g. Freer/Sackler, Muller Collection, No. S2003.8.366 (dated c. 1915); Chazen Museum of Art, Van Vleck Collection, No. 1980.2857 (dated 1910-20). Also illustrated in: The female image, Leiden 2000, p. 48, No. 23 (termed as part of a series „Setsugekka no uchi“ – snow, moon and flower)
sold