Kingfisher (Kawasemi)

The kingfisher — kawasemi in Japanese — is rendered here in Hiratsuka's early woodcut style, the bird's brilliant plumage translated into the monochrome vocabulary of his knife work. Dating to around 1928, the bird study belongs to his early natural history subjects before his focus shifted predominantly to architectural documentation. The kingfisher's compact, jewel-like form suits the woodcut's capacity for precise outline.