Gekkô: Boy sitting on an ox
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Ogata Gekkô (1859-1920)

A boy sitting on an ox breaks a budding twig from a tree. Snow-covered Mount Fuji rises out of the haze.

The ox (or buffalo), one of the twelve zodiac animals, symbolises strength, endurance, patience and diligence. 2021 is a year of the ox.

Signature: Gekkô

Seal: Gaun (?) (Gekkô?)

Publisher: (Matsuki Heikichi, Daikokuya), Tokyo

Date: c. 1900-1910

Original Japanese colour woodblock print. Size: Shikishiban, 22.7 x 24.7 cm

Excellent impression and colours. Unbacked. A little trimmed on top. A printer's ink spot in bottom right, otherwise excellent condition.
A rarely seen, beautiful image. There are two versions of this motif, with a number of small but significant differences. This is the one with undulating hill and grass in the foreground, and a higher-set (differently calligraphed) signature. It is uncertain which (or if any) of the variants is the earlier one.

Cf. Milne Henderson, Zeshin & Related Artists, London n.d. (1978?), no. 37 (other variant).

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