7023 - Ukiyo-e color woodblock print, Kochoro Kunisada, Japanese falconer with a magnificent hawk, Japan, ca. 1835

Ukiyo-e color woodblock print, Kochoro Kunisada, Japanese falconer with a magnificent hawk, Japan, ca. 1835 An impressive, portrait-format Japanese woodblock print by the renowned Ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1865), also known by the artist name Kochoro Kunisada, depicting an elegantly dressed Japanese falconer, probably circa 1835. The striking composition shows a young man in traditional Japanese attire carrying a magnificent bird of prey on his left arm. The hawk is depicted with finely rendered plumage, characteristic markings, and its head raised in alert attention. The male figure wears a loose-fitting, blue-gray kimono with subtle floral embellishments, as well as strikingly patterned, multicolored trousers in yellow, black, and green. His artfully styled hair and elegant posture underscore the ceremonial nature of the depiction. Falconry, known in Japan as takagari, had a long tradition, particularly among the samurai and the nobility, and was regarded as a sign of social status, discipline, and skill. The motif combines traditional Japanese clothing with the symbolic depiction of a hunting goshawk. The harmoniously coordinated color scheme, the clear contours, and the finely detailed garment patterns are consistent with the characteristic visual language of 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e art. At the lower right edge of the image is a vertical Japanese artist’s signature, indicating Kunisada, as well as a Japanese seal. The elongated composition in the traditional Japanese hanging format emphasizes the falconer’s elegant posture and the highly detailed depiction of the bird of prey. • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1865), artist name Kochoro Kunisada\ • Origin: Japan\ • Technique: Color woodblock print on paper, ukiyo-e\ • Subject: Japanese falconer with a hawk in traditional attire\ • Date of the original: Circa 1835\ • Period: Edo period\ • Signature: Japanese artist’s signature in the lower right corner, attributed to Kunisada\ • Seal: Japanese stamp near the signature\ • Special features: Traditional vertical hanging format with finely rendered garment patterns and a detailed depiction of the bird of prey\ • Framing: Black wooden frame Dimensions: approx. 81 × 31.5 cm with frame