Unknown 8

One of at least three impressions catalogued under 'Unknown 8' in the collection, this Ohno Bakufu woodblock print highlights the complexity of documenting a large-format natural history series across multiple institutional holdings. The 'Dai Nihon Gyorui Gashu' series comprised enough plates that not all have been definitively identified by Western cataloguers, and some impressions exist in collections without accompanying Japanese title cartouches. Comparing this impression with the others catalogued under the same provisional title may clarify whether they represent the same plate, variant color states, or distinct but visually similar subjects—a task that typically requires reference to the original Japanese publication records or to complete series holdings at institutions such as the Osaka Museum of History. Ohno's fish prints are identifiable by consistent design features: a single dominant specimen, a restrained background, fine bokashi gradations, and the precise articulation of fin structure that reflects his study of actual specimens.