Hemp-leaf Pattern
by Kogan Tobari
- Date:
- 1913
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
by Kogan Tobari
Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
Hemp-leaf Pattern (Asa-no-ha), a 1913 color woodblock, takes as its subject one of the most recognizable geometric patterns in Japanese textile design. The interlocking star-shaped motif, based on the structure of hemp leaves, has been used on fabric, paper, and architecture for centuries. Tobari's decision to make a traditional pattern the subject of a [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) print creates an interesting tension between old and new: ancient design rendered through a movement that championed artistic individuality and personal expression. The color woodblock allows the pattern to develop its characteristic visual rhythm, each repetition slightly different because of the hand-printing process.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Hemp-leaf Pattern was created by Kogan Tobari (戸張孤雁) in 1913.
Hemp-leaf Pattern depicts still life and abstract.
