Long Tail Cock

The Long-tail Cock — likely the Onagadori, Japan's extraordinary ornamental rooster breed with tail feathers that can reach several meters in length — is one of the most spectacular subjects in Japanese animal art. Developed in Kochi Prefecture over centuries of selective breeding, the Onagadori's impractically magnificent tail is purely aesthetic, its length making the bird unable to fly or forage normally. Bakufu's rendering of this extreme specimen reflects the same fascination with natural extremity that drove his fish compendium.