Reader Collection > Exhibitions > Upland and Lowland Flowers and Birds in Japanese Art

Introduction

Japan is a mountainous country with the upper mountain slopes covered largely by forest (Photo 1). Wetlands (e.g., marsh, riverbank, lakeshore) and agricultural fields (Photo 2) occupy the lower slopes, along with towns and cities.  

Pictures of upland habitats (i.e., forest) and lowland habitats (i.e., wetland, agricultural fields) drawn by Japanese artists often included their characteristic flowers and birds. This virtual exhibition includes forty of these flower-and-bird pictures, chosen from the Reader Collection of Japanese Flower-and-Bird Art. For each picture the following information is provided: habitat type, names of the flowers and birds, artist’s name, picture date and name of the picture book in which the picture was included (if any), printing method and picture size.

1   Upland – oak (Quercus serrata) and white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) by Shigemasa Kitao, included in Shashin Kachō Zue (i.e., Naturalistic Pictures of Flowers and Birds), 1805-1827, woodblock print, 310 x 220 mm

2   Upland – Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) and Ural owl (Strix uralensis) by Tōshi Yoshida, woodblock print, 555 x 375 mm

3   Upland - sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua) and goldcrest (Regulus regulus) by Sūgakudō Nakayama, included in Shō Utsushi Shijū-hachi Taka (i.e., Forty-eight Hawks Drawn from Life), 1859, woodblock print, 245 x 365 mm

4   Upland – winterberry (Ilex serrata) and great tit (Parus major) by Shundei Nakamura, woodblock print, 270 x 415 mm

5   Upland – Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa) and Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) by Hidetaka Yamanaka, intaglio print, 350 x 240 mm

6   Upland – kobus magnolia (Magnolia kobus) and scops owl (Otus sp.) by Kōhō Ōuchi, woodblock print, 150 x 125 mm

7   Upland – Japanese kadsura (Kadsura japonica) and narcissus flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Hyakuchō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of One Hundred Birds by Bairei), 1881, woodblock print, 165 x 250 mm

8   Upland – fiveleaf akebia (Akebia quinata) and hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Hyakuchō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of One Hundred Birds by Bairei), 1881, woodblock print, 165 x 250 mm

9   Upland – snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumeroides) and brown-headed thrush (Turdus chrysolaus) by Rakusan Tsuchiya, woodblock print, 590 x 420

10   Upland –  Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and chestnut-cheeked starling (Sturnia philippensis) by Gokyō Kobayashi, included in Miyo No Hana (i.e., Flowers of the Ages), edited by Kōtarō Yamada, 1892, woodblock print, 155 x 245 mm

11   Upland – 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), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

12   Upland – Japanese witch-hazel (Hamamelis japonica) and Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) by Kashū Numata, included in Shūchō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Bird Drawings), 1885-90, woodblock print, 175 x 245 mm

13   Upland – cherry (Prunus sp.) and blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) by Rakusan Tsuchiya, woodblock print, 385 x 255 mm

14   Upland –  pine (Pinus sp.) and hawk (Accipiter) sp.) by Shōun Yamamoto, woodblock print, 205 x 145 mm

15   Upland – camellia (Camellia japonica) and Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) by Jō. woodblock print, 195 x 400 mm

16   Upland –  Japanese laurel (Aucuba japonica) and Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) by Tōshi Yoshida, woodblock print, 340 x 540 mm

17   Lowland – water-lily (Nuphar japonicum) and common snipe (Gallinago gallinago) by Rakusan Tsuchiya, woodblock print, 605 x 440 mm

18   Lowland –  sweet flag (Acorus gramineus) and little egret (Egretta garzetta) by Rakusan Tsuchiya, woodblock print, 615 x 470 mm

19   Lowland – Chinese arrowhead (Sagittaria trifolia), monochoria (Monochoria korsakowii), rush (Juncus sp.) and water rail (Rallus aquaticus) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

20   Lowland –  willow (Salix sp.), knotweed (Polygonum sp.) and white wagtail (Motacilla alba) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

21   Lowland – sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) by Koson Ohara, woodblock print, 195 x 370 mm

22   Lowland – Amur silver grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) and mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) by Koson Ohara, woodblock print, 260 x 390 mm

23   Lowland – bur-reed (Sparganium sp.) and greater painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Hyakuchō Gafu Zokuhen (i.e., Picture Album of One Hundred Birds by Bairei, Sequel), 1884, woodblock print, 165 x 250 mm

24   Lowland – rush (Juncus sp.) and gray heron (Ardea cinerea) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Hyakuchō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of One Hundred Birds by Bairei), 1881, woodblock print, 165 x 250 mm

25   Lowland – egret orchid (Habenaria radiata) and crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Hyakuchō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of One Hundred Birds by Bairei), 1881, woodblock print, 330 x 250 mm

26   Lowland –  monochoria (Monochoria korsakowii) and mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) by Sadanobu II Hasegawa, woodblock print, 290 x 230 mm

27   Lowland – willow (Salix sp.) and green-winged teal (Anas crecca) by Bairei Kōno, included in Bairei Hyakuchō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of One Hundred Birds by Bairei), 1881, woodblock print, 165 x 250 mm

28   Lowland – Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) and black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) by Bunrei Maekawa, included in Bunrei Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Bunrei), woodblock print, 490 x 355 mm

29   Lowland – Japanese iris (Iris ensata) and common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) by Sakai Hōitsu, woodblock print, 130 x 245 mm

30   Lowland – fringed pink (Dianthus superbus) and northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) by Gessō Yoshimoto, woodblock print, 140 x 260 mm

31   Lowland – common reed (Phragmites australis) and swan goose (Anser cygnoides) by Hiroshige III Utagawa, included in Kachō Zufu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds), undated, woodblock print, 125 x 180 mm

32   Lowland – cattail (Typha latifolia) and common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) by Masahiro Tabuki, digital print, 305 x 480 mm

33   Lowland – thistle (Cirsium sp.), shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) and gray wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

34   Lowland – Japanese-lantern (Physalis alkekengi) and meadow bunting (Emberiza cioides) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

35   Lowland – pea (Pisum sativum) and oriental greenfinch (Carduelis sinica) by Rakusan Tsuchiya, woodblock print, 575 x 430 mm

36   Lowland –  barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Japanese thrush (Turdus cardis) by Seitei Watanabe, woodblock print, 280 x 210 mm

37   Lowland – foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) by Utamaro Kitagawa, woodblock print, 175 x 260 mm

38   Lowland – pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) and gray bunting (Emberiza variabilis) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

39   Lowland – Chinese milk-vetch (Astragalus sinicus), dandelion (Taraxacum sp.), violet (Viola sp.), field horsetail (Equisetum arvense), skylark (Alauda arvensis) and olive-backed pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) by Keinen Imao, included in Keinen Kachō Gafu (i.e., Picture Album of Flowers and Birds by Keinen), 1891-92, woodblock print, 260 x 370 mm

40   Lowland –  rape (Brassica napus) and dusky thrush (Turdus naumanni) by Sadanobu II Hasegawa, woodblock print, 285 x 230 mm

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