Reader Collection > Exhibitions > “Japanese” Flowers and Birds in Printed Art from Japan

Introduction

The English and Latin (i.e., scientific) names of plants and birds often include the name of the country where the first specimen of a species was collected by European explorers. Not surprisingly, some of the species depicted in Japanese art have names which include the English word “Japanese” and (or) one of the following Latin words:  “japonica”, “japonicus”, “japonicum”, “japonensis”. This virtual exhibition includes sixteen examples of flower-and-bird prints which feature these “Japanese” species. For each print the species’ names are given along with the name of the Japanese artist. The following additional information is also provided for each print: print size, printing method, and title (if any). For those prints published in a picture book, the book’s title and publication date are also given. These prints are part of the Reader Collection of Japanese Art.  

1   Japanese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) and Japanese thrush (Turdus cardis) by Sūgakudō Nakayama, included in Shō Utsushi Shijū-hachi Taka  (i.e., Exact likeness of 48 Hawks), 1859, woodblock, 245 x 365 mm

2   Japanese mountain cherry (Prunus serrulata) and Japanese robin (Erithacus akahige) by Sūgakudō Nakayama, included in Shō Utsushi Shijū-hachi Taka  (i.e., Exact likeness of 48 Hawks), 1859, woodblock, 245 x 365 mm

3   Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and Japanese grosbeak (Eophona personata) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Bairei), edited by Gessai Fukui, 1893, woodblock, 270 x 210 mm

4   Giant butterbur (Petasites japonicus) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by Gyokuden Murase, included in Bijutsu Sekai (i.e., World of Art), edited by Seitei Watanabe, 1892, woodblock, 300 x 240 mm

5   Japanese creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) and Japanese woodpecker (Picus awokera) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e.,  Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-2, woodblock, 260 x 370 mm 

6   Japanese buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e.,  Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-2, woodblock, 260 x 370 mm    

7   Japanese azalea (Rhododendron japonicum) and Japanese paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata) by Tōshi Yoshida, woodblock, 200 x 245 mm

8   Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by Ōshin Maruyama, included in Sho Meika Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Various Famous Painters), edited by Gessai Fukui, 1898, woodblock, 195 x 260 mm

9   Japanese waxtree (Rhus succedanea) and Japanese grosbeak (Eophona personata) by Rakusan Tsuchiya, entitled Japanese waxtree and Japanese grosbeak, woodblock, 590 x 455 mm

10   Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) by Kiyochika Kobayashi, woodblock, 335 x 230 mm

11   Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) and Japanese waxwing (Bombycilla japonica) by Suikō Fukuda, woodblock, 275 x 400 mm

12   Japanese kadsura (Kadsura japonica) and Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone) by Gessō Yoshimoto, woodblock, 120 x 230 mm

13   Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa) and Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) by Hidetaka Yamanaka, entitled Japanese dogwood, intaglio, 350 x 240 mm

14   Camellia (Camellia japonica) and Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) by Kōji Ikuta, entitled feather – hanging bird, intaglio, 335 x 250 mm

15   Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum) and Japanese paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Bairei), 1899, woodblock, 250 x 370 mm

16  Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil) and red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Bairei), 1899, woodblock, 250 x 370 mm 

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