Hawk Woman (Taka no onna no saku)

Artist Munakata Shiko (Japanese, 1903–1975)

Date1958

Mediumwoodblock print; ink on paper with some hand-applied ink (sumizuri-e)

Dimensions50.8 x 38.4 cm (20 x 15 1/8 in.)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineGift of Mr.and Mrs. David J. Milliken

Terms

Object number1991.32

Label Text2004-08-06: MUNAKATA, Shiko (1903-75) Hawk Woman Carved 1955; this impression printed 1958 Ed. 143/200 Signed in pencil in Japanese, Shiko; and in Roman script Munakata 1958; sealed Muna Woodblock print, ink on paper, with some hand-applied ink Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David J. Milliken, 1991.32 Extremely nearsighted, Munakata Shiko prepared preliminary sketches and carved woodblocks from right to left with his face almost touching the boards. With bold figures and calligraphy, Munakata sought to capture the passion evident in works by his artistic hero, Vincent van Gogh. In this image, a goddess surrounded by vegetation holds a hawk, the sacred emblem of Munakata's beloved native city, Aomori, in northern Honshu. A famous saying by Munakata is engraved on a stone monument in Aomori: "Set your sights pure and high and step out into the wide world of your dreams and hopes." Born in 1903, the sixth son of a blacksmith, Munakata left for Tokyo in 1924. Munakata learned woodblock printing from Un'ichi Hiratsuka in 1928 and revolutionized woodblock printing by working in a variety of sizes, even large sheets to be mounted on screens. From 1936 the artist received support from members of the Folk Art Movement, including the founder Yanagi Soetsu and the potters Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro who encouraged Munakata to pursue Buddhist subject-matter, appreciating him as "a free being with a primitive power." Honored with first prizes at the 1955 São Paulo Biennale and the 1956 Venice Biennale, Munakata also received the Japanese Medal of Honor (1963) and the Order of Cultural Merit (1970).ProvenanceMr. and Mrs. David J. Milliken, 7 Somerset Street, Worcester, MA 01609

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