Hagiwara Rakuichi (presumed) Flying Fish and Child Color Woodblock Print Signed Framed

This is a color woodblock print (saishoku mokuhanga) depicting a child riding a large flying fish gliding over a broad blue sea, a scene filled with dream and humor. The seller believes the work may be attributed to Hagiwara Rakuichi (萩原楽一, also known as Kokan).

• Artist / Maker: The seller presumes this to be by Hagiwara Rakuichi (萩原楽一), also known as Kokan (presumed from signature and style; no certificate of authenticity is included)
• Subject / Motif: Flying Fish and Child (tentative title)
• Technique: Appears to be a color woodblock print
• Dimensions: Framed size 29 cm high × 38 cm wide
• Signature / Seal: Signed "R. HAGIWARA" in the lower right margin; red seal in the lower right of the image
• Condition: Age-related yellowing and faint staining are seen on the paper and mat. The frame has rubbing and small scratches, but the blue, green and yellow of the image remain vivid. Please refer to the photos for the item's current appearance and condition.

The grain of the wood floating in the sky and waves, together with the layered blue-green of the multi-color printing, richly conveys the sea breeze and the movement of the waves. Hagiwara Rakuichi was a painter and printmaker who took the kappa as the subject of his life. He studied Western-style painting under Noma Hitone and printmaking under Sekino Jun'ichiro, expressing a warm and fantastical world.