Sparrowhawk and Macaw (Konori taka, inko)

Dated to circa 1718, this [hosoban](/glossary/hosoban) tan-e depicts a sparrowhawk and a macaw (inko) together on the same sheet. The pairing of a native Japanese raptor with an exotic imported parrot reflects the cosmopolitan visual interests of the Edo print market, where curiosities brought by Dutch traders mingled with the established iconographies of Japanese natural history. Kiyomasu I uses the narrow hosoban format to stack the two birds vertically, applying the Torii school's bold drawing idiom to plumage, beak, and claw. Hand-applied tan pigment heightens the visual contrast between the muted browns of the hawk and the brighter coloration of the macaw. The print stands as an unusual specimen from Kiyomasu I's kacho output, attesting to the breadth of subject matter that circulated through the Torii workshop. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this work.