Two Carp
by Ohara Koson
- Date:
- c. 1928–1930
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 23.5 × 25 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
by Ohara Koson
Koson's vast output of ~450 designs spans birds, flowers, fish, insects, and occasional landscapes. While his large production keeps most prints accessible, early Kokkeido-period impressions with muted, elegant Meiji-era coloring are distinctly more sought after than the brighter later Watanabe editions.
Two carp — one large, one smaller — move through water in this paired composition, their scales rendered with Koson's careful attention to surface detail and the water's movement around their bodies. Produced around 1928–1930, this print uses the paired subject to explore both individual anatomy and the relationship between two creatures in the same element. The carp's cultural resonance — perseverance, longevity, the aspiration encoded in the Dragon Gate legend — enriches a composition already beautiful in purely formal terms.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Two Carp was created by Ohara Koson (小原古邨) in c. 1928–1930.
Two Carp was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (c. 1928–1930).
Two Carp depicts fish and animals.
Two Carp measures 23.5 × 25 cm (Oban format).
