Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
The first of Aoyama Masaharu's owl compositions — a subject at the center of his most celebrated work as a [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) printmaker. His owls demonstrate the qualities for which his art was most praised: the exceptional precision of his carving, which rendered the complex textures of feathers with unusual fidelity; the confidence of his compositional design, which placed the nocturnal bird in settings that amplified its mysterious presence; and the synthesis of traditional kachō-ga (bird-and-flower) conventions with the modern creative printmaker's personal vision. The owl's forward-facing eyes give it a humanoid quality that has attracted artists across cultures.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Owl (1) was created by Aoyama Masaharu (青山正治).
Owl (1) depicts birds & flowers.
