| Kaoru Kawano was born in Otaru, Hokkaido in 1916, and studied at Kawabata art school in 1934. Because his earlier works showed such great promise, they were displayed at the Nihon Hanga Kyokai Exhibition (Japan Print Society) in 1944. He interrupted his print-making activities to join the army, but later was unfortunate to become a prisoner of war in Siberia. In 1949 he resumed exhibiting with Nihon Hanga Kyokai, and subsequently with Kokugakai in 1952. He moved to Tokyo in 1958, and participated in international competitions and solo exhibitions in New York, Seattle, Chicago, and elsewhere. His works are characterised by highly textured abstract representations of children. Besides the prints listed below in my personal possession, I have also compiled an image database of Kawano's published prints here that currently lists over 70 of his works.
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Based on my current understanding, Kawano's editions can be categorised into the following groups:
Kawano's double-oban prints are mostly limited-edition lifetime strikes that have both a pencil signature within the image and an edition number in the bottom margin. There appears to be very few posthumous editions of these prints (the print called "Hair" below is a rare example). Posthumous editions will have neither an edition number, nor a hand-written pencil signature within the image. Instead, they will generally have a black circular seal on the verso, stencil text in the bottom margin, and possibly an impressed signature within the image. Kawano's oban-sized pencil-signed prints are all lifetime strikes. There may be one exception to this 'rule' -- a landscape print called "Winter Mansion" that may carry edition number, title, and artist signature in the bottom margin like the double-oban prints (this print may be an example of the artist's earliest work). Kawano's oban-sized prints that are not pencil-signed are all posthumous strikes. These prints will always have a black circular seal on the verso. Kawano's chuban and postcard sized prints that are pencil-signed are obviously all lifetime strikes. The signature is always in the margin area. Those prints without a pencil signature are probably all posthumous editions. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Double Oban Prints | |||||||||||||||||||||
<br>Limited Edition (3/100)','Kawano-Tanpotsu-Seed-LE-01-x800.jpg','c. 1950/60s','Self','Double Oban','Kawano Kaoru watermark in paper.','750','750')) |
<br>Limited Edition (108/200)','Kawano-Dancing_Figure-Snow_Camellia-LE-02-x800.jpg','c. 1950/60s','Self','Double Oban','Self-Carved Self-Printed tag attached to verso.','750','760')) |
','Kawano-Doves_and_Girl-x800.jpg','c. 1950s','Self','Double Oban','Remnants of Self-Carved Self-Printed tag attached to verso.','750','750')) |
<br>Limited Edition (5/100)','Kawano,%20Kaoru-%20Kokeshi%20Doll-%20x600.jpg','c. 1960s','Self','Double Oban','Self-Carved Self-Printed tag attached to verso. A Kokeshi Doll is a limbless wooden doll, now recognized as one of the traditional folk arts in Japan','650','640')) |
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| Seed [Limited Edition 3/100] |
Dancing Figure (Snow Camellia) [Limited edition 108/200] |
Doves and Girl [Limited edition 1/50] |
Kokeshi Doll [Limited edition 5/100] |
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<br>Limited Edition (41/300)','Kawano-Camellia_H-x800.jpg','c1960s','Self','Double Oban','Left and right margins are larger than shown. Self-Carved Self-Printed tag attached to verso.','750','750')) |
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<br>Limited Edition (28/100)','Kawano-Little_Bird-01-x800.jpg','c. 1960s','Self','Double Oban','Self-Carved Self-Printed tag attached to verso. Has Kaoru Kawano watermark in paper.','740','760')) |
<br>Limited Edition (15/300)','Kawano-Little_Flora_C-2-x800.jpg','c. 1960s','Self','Double Oban','Remnants of \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag on verso. No Kaoru Kawano watermark in paper. Note: left and right margins are slightly larger than shown in this image.','780','760')) |
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| Camellia (H) 椿 (H) [Limited Edition 41/300] |
Dancing Figure, Sagimusume 鷺娘 [Limited Edition 17/300] |
Young Bird [Limited edition 28/100] |
Little Flora (C) 花 (C) [Limited edition 15/300] |
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. This print contains the black posthumous seal on the verso, but it also contains a Kawano signature within the image! On close inspection it seems that this signature may have been impressed into the paper (by a seal containing the artist\'s signature) rather than having been hand-written (though I\'m not certain). Thus I still suspect that prints containing the black seal on the verso are indeed posthumous strikes. Note also that the text in the margin is stencil-printed, another indication of a posthumous print.','790','760')) |
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','Kawano-Little_Flora-LE-x800.jpg','c1950s','Self','Double Oban','Japanese title is \'Hana\' (Flower). \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag on verso. Small edition of 50, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s earlier designs. Red Kawano seal at lower right in image, and Kawano signature in bottm margin at right (but no Kawano signature within image area). Note: margins are larger than shown in this image.','790','760')) |
<br>Limited Edition (35/300)','Kawano-Dancing_Figure-Camellia-LE-x800.jpg','c1960s','Self','Double Oban','Japanese title is \'Tsubaki Tsumako\' (Camellia Maid). \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag on verso. Large edition of 300, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s later designs. Red Kawano seal and pencil signature at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottm margin at right.','790','760')) |
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| Hair 髪 [Unlimited Edition] |
Night Perfume 梅 [Limited Edition 17/100] |
Little Flora 花 [Limited Edition 8/50] |
Dancing Figure (Camellia) 椿孥 [Limited Edition 35/300] |
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<br>Limited Edition 188/300','Kawano-Mai_Ogi-LE-01-x800.jpg','c1960s','Self','Double Oban','Japanese title is \'Mai Ogi\' (Dancer\'s Fan). \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag has been removed from verso but attachment marks remain including the usual red seal. Large edition of 300, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s later designs. Red Kawano seal and pencil signature at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottom margin at right. Paper size is 60 x 43cm.','790','760')) |
<br>Limited Edition 99/300','Kawano-Dancing_Figure_Kamuro-01-x800.jpg','c1960s','Self','Double Oban','Japanese title is simply \'Kamuro\'. \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag on verso. Large edition of 300, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s later designs. Red Kawano seal and pencil signature at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottm margin at right.','790','760')) |
. Appears never to have been a \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag attached to this print. Small edition of 100, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s earlier designs. Red Kawano seal at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottm margin at right.','790','760')) |
. \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag attached to verso. Red Kawano seal and signature at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottm margin at right.','790','760')) |
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| Dancing Figure (Mai Ogi) 舞扇 [Limited Edition 188/300] |
Dancing Figure (Kamuro) かむろ [Limited Edition 99/300] |
On The Grass 草 [Limited Edition 1/100] |
Cross 十字 [Limited Edition 56/200] |
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<br>Limited Edition 26/300','Kawano-Twilight_D-LE-01-x800.jpg','c1960s','Self','Double Oban','\'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag on verso. Large edition of 300, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s later designs. Red Kawano seal at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottom margin at right. Image size is 58 x 38cm.','840','760')) |
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<br>Limited Edition 2/200','Kawano-Camellia_D-LE-01-x800.jpg','c1950s','Self','Double Oban','Japanese title is \'Tsubaki (D)\' (Camellia D). \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag on verso. Red Kawano seal at lower right within image, and Kawano signature in bottom margin at right. Image size is 57 x 40cm.','840','760')) |
<br>Limited Edition 68/150','Kawano-Face_B-LE-01-x800.jpg','c1950s','Self','Double Oban','Japanese title is \'Kao (B)\' (face). \'Self-Carved Self-Printed\' tag attached to verso. Small edition of 150, so I believe this to be one of Kawano\'s earlier designs. Red Kawano seal and signature at lower left within image, and Kawano signature in bottom margin at right. Image size is 57 x 40cm.','840','760')) |
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| Twilight (D) 奈良の塔 [Limited Edition 26/300] |
Nara Pagoda [Limited Edition 41/100] |
Camellia (D) つばき (D) [Limited Edition 2/200] |
Face (B) 顔 (B) [Limited Edition 68/150] |
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| Kawano Kaoru Hagoromo (A) 1950s/60s |
Kawano Kaoru Hagoromo (B) 1950s/60s |
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| Oban Prints | |||||||||||||||||||||
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<br>','Kawano-Dancing_Figure_(Snow_Camellia)-x600.jpg','c1950s-60s','Self','Oban','Pencil signed lifetime strike. Oban version of the double-oban sized print','650','640')) |
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| Unknown title- Child with Flowers [pencil signed] |
Dancing Figure (Snow Camellia) [pencil signed] |
Unknown title- Child and Flower [pencil signed] |
Unknown Title - Yellow Canary [unlimited edition] |
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| Unknown title- Child with Flowers and Butterflies [pencil signed] |
Unknown title- Candle Light [pencil signed] |
Unknown Title - Red Kimono [pencil signed] |
Unknown Title - Crane [pencil signed] |
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','Kawano-Dancing_Figure-Camellia-oban-01-x800.jpg','c1950s-60s','Self','Oban','Pencil signed lifetime strike.','780','760')) |
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| Unknown title- Two Cranes [pencil signed] |
Unknown title- Two Owls [pencil signed] |
Unknown title- Mother and Child [pencil signed] |
Dancing Figure (Camellia) [pencil signed] |
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