Black Sea Bream- Kurodai — クロダイ

Kurodai (クロダイ), the black sea bream, is among the most recognizable fish in Japanese coastal waters and a recurring subject in Bakufu's Dai Nihon Gyorui Gashu series. This second print depicting the species may represent an alternate composition, a different specimen size, or a variant state produced during the series' seven-year publication run between 1937 and 1944. The fish is typically shown in lateral profile against a plain or lightly tinted ground, allowing the carver to render the dark silvery scales, forked tail, and characteristic dorsal spines with precision. Bakufu worked closely with expert printers to achieve the subtle gradation of the fish's flanks through carefully registered bokashi printing.