Shell- oban
by Kaoru Kawano
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
A shell — likely a seashell of striking form — is presented in oban format with the care Kawano brought to natural objects he found particularly beautiful or resonant. Shells had appeared in Japanese art as symbols of beauty, the sea, and romantic love (in the context of shell-matching games at court), and Kawano's depiction honors this cultural richness while transforming the object into a vehicle for graphic exploration of form. The spiral or curved geometry of a shell offered compositional possibilities distinct from his figurative subjects.
More Prints by Kaoru Kawano
More Seascapes Prints
Child of the Sea
1940
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Pacific Ocean, Awa Province (Boshu Taikai), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
Pine Beach at Miho (Miho no Matsubara), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shell- oban was created by Kaoru Kawano (川野薫).
Shell- oban depicts seascapes and still life.