Description
Charming diptych of large format woodblock prints depicting a group of five white-naped cranes (真鶴) among the leaves of a wakaashi (青葭) “young reed bed”. The work is taken from the volume “Summer” (夏) of the famous “Keinen Kacho Gafu” (景年花鳥画譜), the album in 4 volumes of flowers and birds made in 1892 by the artist Imao Keinen (今尾景年).
Imao Keinen (1845 – 1924) has received, since the age of twelve, a complete and in-depth education that ranged among the most varied artistic styles of the Japanese tradition. Professor of painting in Kyoto, he was a member of the art committee of the imperial court and of Nihon Geijutsuin (日本芸術院), the highest ranking artistic organization in Japan.
The prints on Japanese washi paper (和紙), produced by the publisher Nishimura Sozaemon (西村總左衛門), despite the right signs of aging and the presence of binding holes, are in good general condition.
