Japanese watercolours

Newly listed is this small collection of early 20th-century kachō-e watercolours in the manner of Ohara Koson (1877–1945). The Japanese tradition of kachō-e is a subset of the genre of ukiyo-e prints, concentrating on studies of birds and flowers, as well as other scenes from nature.

kachō-e has a long visual and literary history. In contrast to a Western approach to natural history based on description and classification, the Japanese view was concerned with how all things fit together, and related to experience, perception and aesthetics. Flora and fauna were imbued with metaphorical significance beyond their physical beauty, and specific pairings of animals and plants conveyed specific meanings.

Masters of kachō-e were guided by both expression and emotion. One such master in the early 20th century was Ohara Koson (1877–1945). Japanese art of the late 19th and early 20th century introduced elements of style seen in Western art, such as the depiction of surface texture, shadows, optical effects and depth. Koson carried the kachō-e genre into the modern era and contributed to its appreciation in the West, his prints becoming popular in the United States in particular.