Pigeon
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Typical Price
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.
- Common examples: $100–$500
- Good impressions: $500–$2,000
- Premium/scarce: $2,000–$10,000
Description
A pigeon rendered in Hodo's kachō-ga style — the common bird given the careful, appreciative attention that the Japanese tradition brought to even the most familiar animals. The pigeon (hato) was associated with shrines and temples, where flocks gathered to be fed by worshippers, and with the peaceful imagery of doves in the broader East Asian artistic tradition. Hodo's pigeon print likely depicts the bird in a setting of architectural or natural beauty, the familiar subject elevated through refined printmaking technique.
