78 Shōda Kōhō 1875 – 1946 White Peony in the Rain

Japan, c. 1910s–1930s (Taishō / early Shōwa period)

This immensely sheet is a masterclass in the kachō-e (bird-and-flower picture) genre, rendered in the modern aesthetic of the shin-hanga (new prints) movement. The design was created by the acclaimed artist Shoda Koho, whose two red seals are stamped in the lower-left corner of the composition. The scene poetically and meticulously captures a massive white peony blossom (botan), its heavy head and lush green leaves drenched by a spring rain. What elevates this print to a true masterpiece of 20th-century carving and printing craftsmanship is the depiction of delicate, translucent water droplets realistically hanging and falling from the tips of the leaves and petals. The flawless color gradation (bokashi) gives the flower incredible volume and softness, contrasting sharply with the muted, neutral background that perfectly evokes an overcast, rainy sky. This print was most likely produced for the famous Hasegawa (Nishinomiya) publishing house, which successfully exported such refined natural motifs to Western collectors during the interwar period.