Komakusa こまくさ

1943. OZAKI Kohachi, author. Onchi Kōshirō 恩地孝四郎. Komakusa こまくさ. Tôkyô,Shôwa 18 [1943]. Single sheet, 29.2 x 34.3 cm. Meant to fold in fourths as a simple species of "book" during the wartime shortage of paper. The lightly colored woodblock print by Onchi is some 11.0 x 15.4 cm. It was cut and printed by members of the Hanga Kurabu. Ozaki [1892-1974] had known Onchi for many years when he collaborated with him on this little illustrated poem, named after a species of mountain flower common to Japan. Extremely ephemeral. I can find no reference to it in either the English language or Japanese sources, nor does it appear in the Onchi print raisonne. It (truncated) has, of course, been folded and then flattened again. Overall good condition, a good impression of the print. (Inventory #: 87930)