Ito Sozan Japanese Woodblock Print - Vintage - Shima Art Company

Japanese woodblock print by Ito Sozan. The name “Bird on Berry” and Sozan written in pencil on the mounting board. This is not signed by the artist. The print is 7¼” x 4¾” tipped on to mounting board 11” x 8”. One corner of the mounting board is missing. A green mat 11” x 8½” (opening 8⅜” x 5⅜”) is included. Published by Shima Art Company on mulberry paper. Sozan Ito was print artist known for his Shin Hanga designs. Born in 1884, he completed kacho-e, or “bird-and-flower pictures,” and some bijin-ga, or “pictures of beautiful women,” for the famous Shin Hanga publisher Shozaburo Watanabe. This relationship continued from 1919 to 1926. Unfortunately, little is known about Sozan’s life and career outside this partnership. This woodblock print was probably a later publication by Shima Art Company rather than Watanabe. In the Watanabe edition it was named “Bird on a Snow-Covered Nanten Bush”. BRS