Woodblock Print by Shodo Kawarazaki: Maple Leaves

Red, orange, yellow and green on the same branch, as if the tree were still deciding.

This woodblock print, Maple Leaves, is by Shodo Kawarazaki (1889-1973), from Japan, dated 1954, in ink on paper. Viewing the autumn maples, known as momijigari, is a long-loved seasonal custom in Japan. Layers of star-shaped leaves fill the right side of the sheet, shading from deep red to yellow and fresh green. Pale gray branches rise behind them against a light gray ground. A red seal sits at lower right and a column of characters at upper left. It is 10.75 inches wide and 15.75 high.

The season, caught right at its turning point.