Ringed sparrows and insect — Ohara Koson

Two sparrows tumble through the air after an insect. Two tree sparrows swoop down together, wings spread and bodies twisting, towards a tiny insect hovering in the lower corner. Around them, nothing but a soft grey ground: the empty space makes their movement feel even faster.

Koson loved to capture birds in motion rather than posed on a branch. Here, with very few elements, he turns a simple hunt into a small drama full of energy and humour, a perfect example of the Japanese art of suggesting much with little.

Why it works on your wall

• Lively and minimal: a light, modern image for a study, a hallway or a child’s room
• Square format: easy to hang alone or in a grid with other square prints
• Framing tip: a thin white or natural wood frame keeps its airy feel

Ohara Koson

Ohara Koson (1877–1945) was the great master of kachō-e, prints of birds and flowers. Trained as a painter in Kanazawa, he designed hundreds of prints from the early 1900s, then, from 1926, worked with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, signing some of his prints Shōson. His work was exported widely and is now held by museums around the world.

• Artist: Ohara Koson (1877–1945)
• Technique: colour woodblock print
• Theme: sparrows, insect, kachō-e

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• Square format, in 40×40, 60×60 and 80×80 cm
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

Pair it with Koson’s Wagtail on Lotus or Yamamoto Shōun’s Frog Procession, or explore all our Ohara Koson prints.