Mandarin Ducks in Snow 

Ohara Koson created this woodblock print of Mandarin Ducks in Snow, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The composition presents two ducks nestled closely on a snow-covered form. The ducks and the foliage are set against a muted grayish backdrop, creating a serene, almost meditative scene. The formal arrangement here is quite striking. The artist uses a contrast between the precise, detailed rendering of the ducks and the more abstract, shadowy suggestion of the bamboo in the background to enhance the symbolic qualities of the depicted nature. The male duck displays brilliant colors, which draws our eye in contrast to the female with her muted, gray plumage. The print also plays with the traditional notion of pairing. Mandarin ducks are often seen as symbols of marital fidelity. But what does it mean when Koson obscures the details of their setting, placing them in a composition that is simultaneously vivid and ambiguous? The tension in the work invites us to reconsider established symbolic systems and to contemplate new meanings within this carefully constructed visual space.