94 Ohara Koson 1877 – 1945 Cat and Butterfly

publisher: likely Kokkeidō or Daikokuya
color woodblock print (nishiki-e), tate-e format (approx. 13.5 × 

A delicate early kachō-e design showing a young cat intently watching a fluttering butterfly — one of Koson’s most charming and refined compositions.
Subtle coloring and exquisite detail reflect the artist’s painterly sensibility and his gift for capturing stillness and movement within a single poetic image.

Born in Kanazawa as Matao Ohara, Koson (also known as Shōson and later Hōson) was a leading figure in the modern shin-hanga revival of traditional Japanese bird-and-flower prints.
This work belongs to his first creative phase (ca. 1900–1912), prior to his collaboration with Watanabe Shōzaburō, when his prints bore only the signature “Koson.” Its quiet lyricism and compositional grace embody the refined naturalism that would define Koson’s lifelong pursuit of beauty in nature.

Illustrated in: Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Newland, Perrée, Schaap), K41.8