Peony Snowflakes — 牡丹雪

Date:: 1933
Medium:: Woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo
Edition:: Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
Source:: Japanese Art Open Database

Typical Price

This is among Kotondo's most celebrated compositions. Kotondo created only 21 bijin-ga designs (1927–1933), and the original woodblocks were destroyed before WWII, making any original period impression extraordinarily rare. "Kamisuki (Hair Combing)" set the artist record at $72,500 at Christie's New York in 2019.

Later impressions or Ishu Kanko Kai reprints: $1,000–$3,500
Original 1930s editions, good condition: $8,000–$25,000
Finest original impressions of top designs: $25,000–$72,500

Description

"Peony Snowflakes — 牡丹雪" is a shin-hanga nature study by Torii Kotondo, created during the Taisho and Showa periods. This work belongs to the kacho-e (bird-and-flower) tradition, one of the most celebrated genres in Japanese art.

Torii Kotondo brings characteristic sensitivity to this naturalistic subject, combining precise observation with poetic atmosphere. The composition balances the living subjects with their environment, creating a scene that feels both scientifically accurate and emotionally resonant.

The technical execution reveals the sophisticated printmaking tradition behind this image — from the precise registration of multiple color blocks to the subtle gradations that give depth and luminosity to the natural subjects.

This print represents Torii Kotondo's contribution to the shin-hanga tradition during the Taisho and Showa periods. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.