Spring at the Moat (Ohari no Haru)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
$1,000–$15,000. Common landscapes: $1,000–$3,000. Key value factors: Kasamatsu's early shin-hanga works (pre-1955) tend to be more valued than his later sosaku-hanga production.
The castle moat — likely at the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo — transforms in spring as cherry blossoms drop petals onto the still water while the stone walls loom above. Kasamatsu depicted the old castle moats repeatedly, finding in them one of Tokyo's most affecting seasonal subjects: the combination of feudal military architecture and the annual explosion of cherry bloom creates an image of historical layering specific to the city. The spring moat (Ohari no Haru) embodies the transience celebrated in Japanese aesthetics.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Spring at the Moat (Ohari no Haru) was created by Shiro Kasamatsu (笠松紫浪).
Spring at the Moat (Ohari no Haru) was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Spring at the Moat (Ohari no Haru) depicts spring.
