Sparrowhawk and Macaw (Konori taka, inko)
- Date:
- c. 1718
- Medium:
- Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, tan-e
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Dated to circa 1718, this 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.
More Prints by Torii Kiyomasu I
The Actors Arashi Koroku I as Makomo no Mae and Ichikawa Uzaemon VIII as Taira no Koremochi in the play "Shusse Momijigari," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1747
1747
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
The Actors Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Soga no Goro and Ikushima Daikichi II as Kewaizaka no Shosho in the play "Monzukushi Nagoya Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the first month, 1748
1748
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
Ichimura Manzo as Yatsushi Goro and Segawa Kikujiro as Yatsushi Shosho
ca. 1745
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Courtesan
ca. 1712
Monochrome woodblock (tan-e) print; ink on paper
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Frequently Asked Questions
Sparrowhawk and Macaw (Konori taka, inko) was created by Torii Kiyomasu I (鳥居清倍) in c. 1718.
Sparrowhawk and Macaw (Konori taka, inko) depicts birds & flowers.