Grapes and Pomegranates — ざくろにぶどう

This kacho-e (flower-and-bird, though here specifically a fruit study) depicts clusters of grapes alongside pomegranates, combining two subjects with established associations in both Japanese and Chinese decorative tradition. Pomegranates (zakuro) symbolize fertility through their many seeds, while grapes introduced as a Chinese motif carried connotations of abundance. The composition likely arranges the fruits with leaves and tendrils against a neutral or lightly graded ground, using the translucent printing of blue-greens and deep purples that Meiji-era pigment developments made possible. Kiyochika's botanical work represents a departure from his urban atmospheric prints, demonstrating his range across decorative natural-history subjects executed in the careful multi-block nishiki-e technique.