Heron on Branch
by Ohara Koson
- Date:
- c. 1928–1930
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 23.5 × 24.8 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
- Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Typical Price
Koson's bird-and-flower prints are his most numerous and accessible works — he designed ~450 prints total. Common subjects in average condition remain widely available. Quality of impression, color fidelity, and publisher seal (Kokkeido preferred over Watanabe) are the key value drivers.
- Later posthumous reprints: $100–$400
- Good lifetime impressions: $400–$2,000
- Outstanding impressions with superb color: $2,000–$6,000
Description
A heron perches on an overhanging branch, its long neck retracted into its shoulders in the resting posture characteristic of the species. Produced around 1928–1930, this print demonstrates Koson's mastery of the perched bird composition: the branch as compositional armature, the bird's mass balanced against the spatial openness of the background, the species rendered with enough anatomical accuracy to satisfy an ornithologist while remaining a work of formal beauty.
More Prints by Ohara Koson
More Birds & Flowers Prints
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Heron on Branch was created by Ohara Koson (小原古邨) in c. 1928–1930.
Heron on Branch was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (c. 1928–1930).
Heron on Branch depicts birds & flowers.
Heron on Branch measures 23.5 × 24.8 cm (Oban format).