Autumn Leaves
紅葉
- Date:
- 1929
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
Typical Price
This seasonal bijin-ga places a beautiful woman amid autumn foliage, combining Kotondo's figure mastery with landscape elements. Only 21 designs were ever produced in Kotondo's entire career, making each one inherently scarce. Lifetime Watanabe editions of "Autumn Leaves" range from $5,000-$12,000; posthumous editions are $2,000-$4,000.
Description
A woman stands framed by brilliant autumn foliage, the fiery reds and oranges of the maple leaves creating a vivid backdrop for her composed figure. The seasonal setting evokes the traditional Japanese sensitivity to the beauty of impermanence — momijigari, the appreciation of autumn color — and adds emotional depth to the portrait.
