Koichi Sakamoto - シーラカンス (Coelacanth)

A fabulous print by Koichi Sakamoto: シーラカンス (Coelacanth). This detailed study of the ancient deep-sea coelacanth presents the fish in stark profile - its jointed fins, heavy scales, and armoured headplate. Once believed extinct for over 65 million years, the coelacanth was famously rediscovered in 1938 and has since fascinated biologists and collectors alike. Sakamoto’s rendering recalls the gyotaku (魚拓) tradition of recording prized specimens, here elevated into a striking work of natural history. 🐟📜

• Year & Edition: c. late 1970s/80s · Ed. 7/100 (signed, titled & editioned in pencil).
  
• Medium: Etching & Aquatint.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 30.00 cm × W: 53.50 cm; Image H: 22.00 cm × W: 46.50 cm.
  
• Condition: Beautiful condition. Paper clean & crisp; faint crease to lower right margin.
  
• Notes: The coelacanth is one of the world’s rarest and most ancient fish species. Japan has played a major role in its study, with preserved specimens at the Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium. Koichi Sakamoto seal embossed to paper.

About the Artist

Koichi Sakamoto (b.1932, Utsunomiya) is a Japanese printmaker known for his fine etchings & mezzotints depicting rural homes, birds, and quiet seasonal landscapes. A longtime exhibitor with the Japan Print Association and Shunyōkai, his postwar works are held in major museum collections in Japan and abroad. His snowbound villages and delicate natural subjects evoke a deep sense of stillness & reflection. [ ← View All Works by Koichi Sakamoto]