BIRDS (CRANES)
This abstract woodblock print shows three birds that are likely cranes. The rough plywood the artist used to make the printing blocks creates a texture that represents the cranes’ feathers and white bodies. Similarly textured gray areas in the background suggest shimmering light on the water, with the warm red tone possibly indicating sunrise or sunset.
Shima Tamami was a female print artist working in the 1950s and 1960s at a time when it was rare for women to be printmakers. Most of her prints depict birds and other natural subjects. The Japanese title of this print is Urei no tori, a description that translates to the birds as melancholy or grieving.
Object Number
S2019.3.1605
Date
1959, Showa era
Artist
Shima Tamami (1937–1999)
Place of Origin
Japan
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H × W (image): 38.7 × 53 cm
(15 1/4 × 20 7/8 in.)
Credit line
Purchase and partial gift of the Kenneth and Kiyo Hitch Collection from Kiyo Hitch with funds from the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment