Ancient Sea, Nautilus (27/45)

Part of Oda's Ancient Sea series, this woodblock print explores the nautilus as both natural specimen and cosmological symbol. Oda's printing draws on the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) tradition of artist-made prints — she carved, inked, and pulled each impression herself — and the nautilus's interior geometry provides a structural counterpoint to the fluid, rounded forms of her goddess figures elsewhere in her oeuvre. The color palette likely includes deep oceanic blues and creamy ivory tones to suggest the shell's natural coloring under water. The small edition size of 45 underscores the intimate, handcraft nature of her practice. Impression 27 of 45.