Koson Ohara Japanese Woodblock Print Art Bull-Headed Shrike Bird Spider Vintage Description and Item Information Up for sale is this framed, old Japanese woodblock print by the well-known artist, Koson Ohara. Please excuse any glare in the photos. This print depicts a bull-headed shrike, resting on a branch, looking at a spider on its web. The print paper is mounted on another piece of paper or board and framed under glass, as found. The exterior frame measurements are approximately 17 inches by 10 1/2 inches. The print paper is approximately 13 9/16 inches by 7 3/8 inches. Unpacked, this item weighs 1 pound 6.2 ounces. This would be a nice addition to a collection of Asian art. Identification This print has black and red markings on its right side, as shown. The names and seals that the artist used changed over time. The exact age of this piece is not known, but it is either vintage or antique. Per Ronin Gallery, Koson is known for prints depicting birds and flowers (kacho-e). He was born in Kanazawa. He became a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Koson met the curator of Japanese art of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Ernest Fenollosa, who was also an adviser to the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and a collector, scholar, and admirer of Japanese art and culture. Koson began producing woodblock prints around 1905. Fenollosa convinced Koson to export his bird prints to American collectors. From 1900 to 1912, he worked with several publishers (including Kokkeido and Daikokuya) and produced genre landscapes as well as prints of his favored kacho-e style. From around 1912 to 1922, he dedicated himself to painting, using the name, Shoson. Later, he began producing prints again. By 1926, Koson was designing prints for Shozaburo Watanabe, the well-known Shin Hanga printmaker. Around this time, he changed his name to Hoson. He produced designs for Sakai and Kawaguchi around 1930. Koson served as an adviser to the National Museum of Art in Tokyo. His work is found in major museum worldwide, including the Freer Gallery, the Museum of Fine Art Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Condition The print looks good overall, as found. I have not examined the print outside of the frame, since it was framed when I acquired it. The print is affixed to a paper or cardboard backing, as found. There are some minor stains at the edges of the backing, as found, but these do not affect the print paper. There are two small wear areas to the right edge of the print paper that may have been touched-up before it was framed, as found (lower right corner and right edge, above center). The frame has minor wear, but it looks good overall. The brown paper covering the back side has some small tears and faint staining, as shown. Terms of Sale 1. Payments must be received within three days of the end of the listing, unless prior arrangements have been made. And international government regulations prohibit such behavior. Other Information Individual computers may display colors differently.