Fallen Bird from Yodaka no Hoshi

Medium:: Woodblock print
Edition:: Self-printed
Source:: ukiyo-e.org

Typical Price

Fallen Bird, an illustration from Miyazawa Kenji's beloved story Yodaka no Hoshi (The Nighthawk Star), connects Sekino's printmaking to one of Japan's most treasured literary works. The literary provenance adds cultural depth to this artist-pulled print. Values typically range from $250-$700, above average for his animal subjects.

Description

"Fallen Bird from Yodaka no Hoshi" is a sosaku-hanga nature study by Jun'ichiro Sekino, created during the Showa period. This work belongs to the kacho-e (bird-and-flower) tradition, one of the most celebrated genres in Japanese art.

Jun'ichiro Sekino brings characteristic sensitivity to this naturalistic subject, combining precise observation with poetic atmosphere. The composition balances the living subjects with their environment, creating a scene that feels both scientifically accurate and emotionally resonant.

The technical execution reveals the sophisticated printmaking tradition behind this image — from the precise registration of multiple color blocks to the subtle gradations that give depth and luminosity to the natural subjects.

This print represents Jun'ichiro Sekino's contribution to the sosaku-hanga tradition during the Showa period. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.