Two Iris

A kacho-e (flower-and-bird) subject, this print depicts two iris blossoms—likely kakitsubata (Iris laevigata) or hanashōbu (Iris ensata), the two species most closely associated with Japanese garden aesthetics and the classical poetic tradition. The composition likely isolates the two blooms at different stages of opening against a plain or simply washed ground, allowing the flower forms to carry full visual weight without competing elements. Rendering iris petals in woodblock presents specific challenges: the deep purple or blue-violet of the falls requires layering of cool pigments, while the lighter hafts and standards demand careful color separation across multiple blocks. Graduated bokashi within individual petal fields can simulate the tonal transitions of the living flower. In the classical seasonal calendar, iris are placed in the fifth lunar month, connecting this print to early summer themes. Kotozuka's attention to botanical subjects in kacho-e represents a minor but consistent thread within an output otherwise dominated by architectural and garden landscape subjects.