Hagoromo B — 飛天 - Hiten

This woodblock print, subtitled 飛天 (Hiten), is part of the B variant group within Kawano's Hagoromo series, depicting the flying celestial beings of Buddhist iconography whose visual precedents extend from the Dunhuang cave murals through medieval Japanese temple decoration. Kawano's adoption of this subject reflects the postwar [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) interest in reconnecting contemporary printmaking with deep currents of Japanese visual culture while maintaining the expressive, artist-made quality that distinguished the movement from commercial production. The composition likely shows a figure mid-flight, with the hagoromo robe providing the artist an opportunity for dynamic diagonal forms across the print surface. Bold, flat color areas — characteristic of Kawano's palette — are separated by the emphatic carved outlines that define his figure style and contributed to the work's accessibility for Western audiences unfamiliar with traditional Japanese iconographic conventions.