Cockatoo And pomegranate

This print pairs an exotic cockatoo with a pomegranate branch, a composition Koson developed in several variants and one that highlights his interest in non-native bird species alongside indigenous Japanese subjects. The cockatoo's white plumage and yellow crest are achieved through careful registration of unprinted washi against the colored fruit and foliage, with subtle grey bokashi modeling shadow under the wing and around the eye. The pomegranates, depicted with their characteristic split rind exposing red seeds, allow for rich vermilion impressions that anchor the composition's color scheme. The pomegranate carries traditional symbolism of fertility and abundance in East Asian art, while the cockatoo introduces an element of the foreign and ornamental that appealed to the export market Koson's publishers cultivated. This print belongs to a broader group of works in which Koson treated parrots, cockatoos, and other tropical birds, reflecting both Western collector taste and the wider visual cosmopolitanism of early twentieth-century Japan.