Bamboo

A variant in Kotozuka's bamboo series, this print likely presents a different season, time of day, or viewing angle than others in the group. Bamboo changes dramatically with season and weather — pale and luminous in spring, deep green in summer, yellowed in autumn, and snow-laden in winter — and Kotozuka appears to have explored many of these conditions across his bamboo prints. The composition may emphasize a cluster of stalks seen from below, allowing the leaf canopy to frame an open sky, or it may present a frontal view of dense culms receding into shadow. The Kyoto studio production method, with carvers and printers working under the artist's supervision, ensured consistency of key block registration while allowing subtle variation in ink density across impressions.