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Persimmon Tree
柿の木
- Date:
- c. 1934
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
柿の木
The persimmon tree is a beloved symbol of autumn in Japan, and Senpan renders it with the bold, simplified forms that define his style. Seasonal subjects from his strongest period (1930s-1940s) are particularly sought after. Self-carved and self-printed, each impression is a unique handmade object. Typical range: $400-$1,000.
Dated 1934, Persimmon Tree depicts the kaki, whose bare branches hung with bright orange fruit in autumn became a recurring subject in modern Japanese printmaking. Maekawa composes the image as a close study: a dark trunk, angular branches, and rounded persimmons set against a flat sky or the wall of a farmhouse. The fruit registers in vermillion or red-orange against grays and browns cut with a knife rather than refined gravers. [Bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) is limited; the print's character lies in the directness of the carved shapes and the cool restraint of the surrounding tones. Persimmons carry associations with rural autumn, household plenty, and the persistence of fruit on otherwise bare branches into early winter — themes consonant with Maekawa's attention to seasonal domestic life. The print belongs to his early-1930s production, the decade in which he established the warm, unpretentious idiom that defined his contribution to the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) movement.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Persimmon Tree (柿の木) was created by Maekawa Senpan (前川千帆) in c. 1934.
Persimmon Tree depicts food & drink and trees.
