Girl With two birds

A young female figure accompanied by two birds, combining the children and bird-and-flower vocabulary that organized much of Nakayama's later production. The composition likely positions the girl with birds perched on her head, shoulders, or extended hands, an arrangement Nakayama varied across multiple prints in this idiom. His figures are characteristically stylized: a large round head, minimal carved features, and patterned clothing or hair treated as decorative surface rather than depicted texture. Mokuhanga production for this kind of print involves a key block for outlines and several color blocks for figure, birds, and ground, with areas of unprinted [washi](/glossary/washi) functioning as compositional negative space. The birds themselves are likely carved with the same vigorous gouge work Nakayama applied to his horses, registering as bold silhouettes rather than naturalistic ornithological studies. The work sits within his post-1960s body of children imagery, parallel to and informed by his earlier breakthrough horse prints, and represents the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) conviction that the printmaker designs, carves, and pulls every impression personally.