$200–$1,500. Common bird prints: $200–$500. Key value factors: Ito Sozan's bird-and-flower prints are charming and affordably priced. Well-preserved examples with vivid color are most valued.
Homing Geese depicts wild geese in flight, returning to roost as evening approaches. The subject belongs to the classical repertoire of Eight Views, a compositional tradition borrowed from Chinese art where descending geese at dusk represent one of the canonical scenes. In Japan, migrating geese carry strong seasonal associations with autumn and the bittersweet feeling of things departing. Sozan renders the geese in flight formation against an evening sky, their V-shaped bodies and outstretched wings creating a rhythmic pattern across the [oban](/glossary/oban) composition. The woodblock medium captures the geese as simplified silhouettes against the fading light, a reduction that heightens the poetic quality of the image. The birds are simultaneously specific, identifiable creatures and abstract symbols of seasonal change and homecoming.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Homing Geese was created by Ito Sozan (伊藤宗山).
Homing Geese depicts birds & flowers, night scenes, and animals.
