Black Seabream (Kurodai), Small Seabream (Kodai) and Japanese Peppercorns (Sansho), from the series A Shoal of Fishes (Uo-zukushi)

Issued in 1867, this sheet from Utagawa Hiroshige's A Shoal of Fishes (Uo-zukushi) presents the auspicious pairing of black seabream (kurodai) and small seabream (kodai), set against sprigs of Japanese peppercorn (sansho). In Edo ukiyo-e culture, the word tai (seabream) was an established homophonic pun on medetai, meaning auspicious, which made the fish a standard subject for celebratory imagery. Hiroshige treats the two fish with quiet, observational care: the larger kurodai is rendered in dense, slate-blue greys with carefully patterned scales, while the smaller kodai is washed in delicate pinks and silvers. The peppercorn leaves and berries provide a sharp green and red accent that ties the still-life composition together. Although Uo-zukushi is sometimes classified outside the landscape print category for which Hiroshige is best known, the series shows the same compositional discipline and color sensitivity that define his Tokaido and Edo views. Accompanied by a poem in cursive script, the sheet sits within the kacho-e tradition of Edo ukiyo-e and demonstrates how broadly Hiroshige's design intelligence ranged. The Harvard Art Museums impression preserves the rich, saturated colors of a fine printing.