Katsuko, holding a rooster

This print depicts a named subject, Katsuko, shown holding a rooster — a composition that merges portraiture with animal subject matter in a manner characteristic of Sekino's figure studies. The pairing of a young woman and a live bird introduces contrasting textures: the warmth of human skin and clothing rendered in flat, carefully registered color fields against the iridescent plumage of the rooster, which would require multiple closely keyed blocks to suggest feather gradation. The rooster's red comb and wattle provide a vivid chromatic accent against the more subdued palette of the figure. Sekino often worked from direct observation of individuals in his community, and titled prints naming specific people — like Katsuko — suggest an intimate documentary impulse within the broader sosaku-hanga emphasis on personal expression and self-directed printmaking from design through printing.