Japanese Woodblock Print Akiyama Iwao Habataki crow Signed Numbered Large Print
Description
A powerful and dramatic large-format woodblock print (mokuhanga) by Akiyama Iwao (秋山巌, 1921–2009), one of Japan's most internationally celebrated woodblock print artists, renowned especially for his bold, monumental depictions of birds. Details: Title: Habataki (はばたき — “Wings Spread / Taking Flight”) The Work: About Akiyama Iwao: Condition Notes: Image area: clean, strong impression Sheet verso: light age toning and minor foxing spots, consistent with age No tears, no significant damage to image Unframed — sheet only A rare opportunity to acquire a large, signed, numbered original print by this major Japanese artist at an accessible price point.
Artist: Akiyama Iwao (秋山巌)
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga) on Japanese washi paper
Edition number: Written in pencil lower left — exact notation unclear, appears to read “156P” or similar (please see photos)
Artist's signature: Pencil-signed lower right (Iwao Akiyama)
Image size: approx. 40 × 44.5 cm (15.7" × 17.5")
Sheet size: approx. 47.3 × 63.3 cm (18.6" × 24.9")
Condition: Good vintage condition; some light age-related toning/foxing to verso of sheet, image area clean and strong
This commanding print captures a crow in extreme close-up — its fierce eye, curved beak, and powerful talons filling the entire composition. The image is rendered in bold, near-monochromatic contrasts of deep black and textured grey, with the raw grain of the woodblock visible throughout, adding an almost primordial energy. The composition is strikingly modern, almost abstract in its tight cropping, yet unmistakably rooted in the Japanese tradition of bird-and-nature art (kacho-ga).
Born in 1921 in Niigata Prefecture, Akiyama Iwao was one of the leading figures of the post-war Japanese woodblock print movement (sosaku hanga). His works — particularly his powerful bird subjects — have been exhibited and collected internationally, and are held in museum collections worldwide. He received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career and was widely recognized for bringing new expressive power to the traditional Japanese woodblock medium.