Grey Mullet- Bora — ボラ

This print depicts the grey mullet (bora, ボラ), a large, torpedo-shaped estuarine fish common throughout Japanese coastal waters, rendered with the scientific exactitude that defines Ohno Bakufu's 'Dai Nihon Gyorui Gashu' series. The bora's distinctive silvery-grey scales, slightly forked tail, and compact head are likely presented against a plain or lightly tinted ground, a compositional choice that directs full attention to the specimen's anatomical detail. Ohno's carvers would have cut separate blocks for the fish's lateral line, scale patterning, and fin structure, while bokashi gradients suggest the subtle shift from the darker dorsal surface to the pale belly. The bora was a well-known food fish in Edo-period Japan, appearing in both urban markets and seasonal menus, giving the image cultural resonance alongside its natural history value. The series, published between 1937 and 1944, employed multiple impression runs to achieve the luminous color shifts that distinguish living fish from static illustration.