Grey Mullet (Bora) and Curnelia (Tsubaki), from the series A Shoal of Fishes (Uo-zukushi)

Grey Mullet (Bora) and Camellia (Tsubaki), from the series A Shoal of Fishes (Uo-zukushi), is a posthumously published 1867 design from one of Utagawa Hiroshige's most beloved late projects. The Uo-zukushi prints depart from the celebrated landscape work for which Hiroshige is best known and instead bring his observational discipline to bear on still-life subjects: pairs or groups of fish drawn with a naturalist's accuracy and arranged with seasonal vegetation or aromatics, accompanied by kyoka verses. Here the powerful body of a grey mullet, scales rendered in subtle gradations of grey and ochre, lies beside the dark glossy leaves and red blossom of a camellia, suggesting late winter or early spring at an Edo fish market. The dialogue between the fish and the cut flower reflects the kyoka literary tradition of yoking two unlike things to provoke a surprised recognition. Although the series stands outside the canonical Edo ukiyo-e landscape print genre, it draws on the same compositional economy Hiroshige applied to his famous views: simple ground, careful negative space, and a restrained palette that lets the principal subject occupy the field. The Harvard Art Museums impression preserves the clean keyblock outlines and the layered color blocks essential to appreciating Hiroshige's handling of texture. The Shoal of Fishes prints remain prized by collectors for their combination of decorative grace and zoological specificity.