Two Falcons (blue version)

This woodblock print depicting two falcons represents a departure from Ohno Bakufu's celebrated fish series, situating him within the kacho-e (flower-and-bird picture) tradition that forms a continuous thread in Japanese print history. The 'blue version' designation suggests this composition exists in multiple colorings, a practice common in publisher-driven series where printers would produce variant editions using different key-block impressions or altered color schemes. Falconry held aristocratic associations in Japanese culture, and falcon imagery carries connotations of power and precision. Ohno's characteristic attention to biological accuracy would inform the rendering of plumage patterns, beak curvature, and talon structure. The blue palette creates a cooler, more graphic impression than a naturalistic coloring might achieve, potentially emphasizing the graphic strength of the design over ornithological documentation. The two-bird composition introduces a dynamic element absent from his single-specimen fish studies.