Fugu — フグ
by Ohno Bakufu
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Typical Price
$1,000–$8,000. Common fish prints: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: The 'Great Japanese Fish' series is his signature work and most collected. Individual fish prints vary in desirability. Complete sets are rare.
Description
The Fugu (puffer fish; フグ; Takifugu species) is perhaps Japan's most famous and most dangerous fish — its organs containing tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin, yet its flesh prized as a delicacy prepared only by specially licensed chefs. Bakufu's rendering of the fugu in his fish compendium captures its distinctive inflated, spiny body with the care it demands as both biological specimen and cultural icon. The species' danger and desirability make it one of the most symbolically charged fish in Japanese culinary culture.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fugu — フグ was created by Ohno Bakufu (大野麦風).
Fugu — フグ depicts fish, still life, and food & drink.