Saturday 31 March 2012

NOID, Sparrows and help requested

SPARROWS !
(Passer domesticus, passer montanus, スズメ)

Reader Michael in Germany asked my to help him identify the maker of this nice woodblock print. Because I love sparrows (who doesn't ?) and couldn't read the signature nor recognized the artist the  help of readers would be much appreciated. It's a German, "original Holzschnitt" and titled "Spassen" (sparrows). 
Because of the clearly visible cheek-spot this subspecies is actually called Passer montanus, or Tree sparrow (ger. Feldsperling).


This is a good opportunity, the above print obviously created influenced by Japanese printmaking, in return sharing some not every day examples of common sparrows by Japanese printmakers. There are ofcourse also by European printmakers but by far the majority and most decorative are the Japanese. Often printed not on the usual sheet of paper but on paper scrolls. 
L: Sessai (1755-1820)
R: Rosetsu Nagasawa (1754-1799)
Kono Barei (1844-1895) 
L: Kano Eisen (1730-1790)
R: unidentified artist.
Sawa Takeshi (?)
both by Rakusan Tsuchiya (1896-1976)

 Hiroshige (1797-1858)
from a scroll by Nakazawa Ikkyo, active 1920/30


Tsuchia Koitsu (1879-1949)

Surely the list could be much longer but these are my favorite ones by Japanese printmakers. Some of which I borrowed freely from the Dr. Ross Walker's great collection and Ohmi Gallery   

3 comments:

  1. I can't help with the ID, but as a huge sparrow fan AND a huge woodblock fan, I love this post!

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  2. Thank you Marissa, keep following because I expect some European examples to follow soon.

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  3. PS: I'ld like to show some of your's too ofcourse if that's OK with you.

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