Reader Collection > Exhibitions > Japanese Flower-and-Bird Prints by Mysterious Artists

 Introduction

The full name of the artist is usually listed alongside each of the pictures included in an art exhibition, unless the picture is unsigned or the artist’s signature is illegible or only a partial name is given on the picture. About 5% of Japanese flower-and-bird prints fall into the ‘unless’ category. This virtual exhibition provides thirty examples of the work of these mysterious artists labeled here as anonymous (prints 1-10) or unidentified (prints 11-20) or single name (prints 21-30). These particular examples were chosen from the Reader Collection of Japanese Art to cover the range of artistic styles used by mysterious artists who made flower-and-bird prints. For each print, the names of flowers and birds are given along with the printing method and print size.

1   Common reed (Phragmites australis) and little egret (Egretta garzetta) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 130 x 180 mm

2   Cherry (Prunus sp.) and mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 130 x 180 mm

3   Plum (Prunus mume) and mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 265 x 220 mm

4   Plum (Prunus mume) and red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 110 x 230 mm

5   Plum (Prunus mume) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 340 x 240 mm

6   Plum (Prunus mume) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 180 x 130 mm

7   Cherry (Prunus sp.) and blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 250 x 240 mm

8   Rose-of-sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) and rock dove (Columba livia) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 220 x 290 mm

9   Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 170 x 170 mm

10   Plum (Prunus mume) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by an anonymous artist, woodblock print, 110 x 190 mm

11   Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 95 x 145 mm

12   Canary (Serinus canaria) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 270 x 365 mm

13   Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) and flycatcher (Ficedula sp.) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 190 x 125 mm

14   Plum (Prunus mume) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 390 x 180 mm

15   Plum (Prunus mume) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 255 x 380 mm

16   Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) and bull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 85 x 295 mm

17   Plum (Prunus mume) and domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 170 x 380 mm

18   Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil) and Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 175 x 365 mm

19   Camellia (Camellia japonica) and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 125 x 180 mm

20   Camellia (Camellia japonica) and Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) by an unidentified artist, woodblock print, 275 x 420 mm

21   Snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumeroides) and winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) by Jūkō, woodblock print, 260 x 385 mm

22   Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) by Jō, woodblock print, 190 x 400 mm

23   Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) by Daiko, woodblock print, 265 x 400 mm

24   Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), aster (Aster sp.) and blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) by Gyōsui, woodblock print, 130 x 250 mm

25   Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil), eulalia grass (Miscanthus sinensis), balloon flower (Platycodon grandiforus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) by Gyōsan, woodblock print, 250 x 365 mm

26   Pomegranate (Punica granatum), orange day-lily (Hemerocallis fulva) and Japanese grosbeak (Eophona personata) by Rōsai, woodblock print, 115 x 170 mm

27   Hall crabapple (Malus halliana) and varied tit (Sittiparus varius) by Bunichi, woodblock print, 260 x 375 mm

28   Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) by Ryōmi, woodblock print, 240 x 270 mm

29   Alder (Alnus sp.) and Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) by Ikkyōsai, woodblock print, 240 x 175 mm

30   Plum (Prunus mume) and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) by Sangetsu, woodblock print, 150 x 260 mm

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