(1)

This untitled numbered print represents an early or catalogued work within Kawano's sosaku-hanga output, likely depicting one of the bold female figures that defined his reputation among postwar collectors. In keeping with his characteristic approach, the composition probably employs strong hand-carved outlines with flat areas of vivid color applied through multiple woodblocks. Kawano's sosaku-hanga practice meant he performed every stage of production himself — designing, carving the keyblock and color blocks, and printing on washi with a baren — resulting in surfaces that bear visible evidence of the artist's direct handiwork. The designation '(1)' suggests this piece belongs to a numbered sequence or served as a first state in a limited edition. Kawano's works from the Shōwa period frequently circulated in small Western-market editions, and the numbering system reflects the sosaku-hanga movement's embrace of Western fine-art print conventions, including edition numbering, as a way of asserting the print's status as autonomous artwork rather than commercial reproduction.