$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.
Lilies with Bees combines two subjects that bring together the botanical and the zoological within a single [oban](/glossary/oban) composition. The lilies provide the structural framework of the image, their large petals and curving stems creating bold shapes, while the bees introduce movement and life in miniature, their small bodies busy among the stamens. The relationship between flower and pollinator is one of nature's most essential partnerships, and Sozan captures it with the observational precision that the kacho-ga tradition encourages. Bees are notoriously difficult to render in woodblock because their small size and rapid movement must be translated into static carved lines, yet their inclusion transforms a still floral study into a scene of living interaction. The lilies' open, trumpet-shaped blooms welcome the insects into the composition.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Lilies with bees was created by Ito Sozan (伊藤宗山).
Lilies with bees depicts birds & flowers, still life, and insects.
