Animals Prints (865)
Animal subjects in Japanese woodblock prints extend well beyond the birds-and-flowers genre to encompass a wide range of creatures — horses, cats, fish, insects, rabbits, foxes, and mythological beasts — each carrying distinct cultural associations and artistic challenges. Animals appear as primary subjects, as symbolic elements within larger compositions, and as characters in narrative prints drawn from folklore and literature. Cats and tigers were favored subjects of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, whose playful cat prints and dramatic tiger compositions influenced generations of artists. Horse prints documented both the practical role of horses in Japanese transportation and warfare and their symbolic associations with strength and nobility. Fish prints, particularly carp, carried auspicious connotations and demanded technical virtuosity in rendering scales and aquatic movement through woodblock carving. Mythological animals — dragons, kirin, phoenixes, and the fox spirits (kitsune) of Japanese folklore — provided opportunities for dramatic, imaginative compositions unconstrained by naturalistic observation. The sosaku-hanga movement brought new approaches to animal subjects, with artists like Tokuriki Tomikichiro and Saito Kiyoshi creating stylized animal prints that balanced decorative design with observed natural form.
Artists Known for Animals
Snake Charmers (Hebizukai)
Hebizukai
1932
Color woodblock print; oban
Hoshifuri Pine at Zen'yoji Temple in Edogawa (Edogawa-ku Zen'yoji Hoshifuri matsu), from the series "One Hundred Views of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era (Showa dai Tokyo fukei hyaku zue hanga)"
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
Drawing for Rabbit and Boy
1964
Acrylic paint and oil pastel with oiled charcoal and ink over an ink and graphite underdrawing on paper
Rabbit and Boy
1964
Color lithograph with relief block and hand coloring; edition 35/36
White Fox Flowery Fields
Woodblock print
Tiger Lily
Woodblock print
Mt. Fuji and Horse Rider
Woodblock print
Monkey Reaching for the Reflection of the Moon
水面の月を掴む猿
c. 1930
Color woodblock print
Monkey with Bell and Lantern
20th century
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Swift Horse- B
Woodblock print
Fishing Village, Shôwa period, mid 20th century
Woodblock print
Black Cat
黒猫
1960
Color woodblock print
Badger, from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, harimaze
Tanuki
Woodblock print
Moonlight Night (Cat)
Woodblock print
Deer at Nara
Woodblock print
Cat Napping
昼寝する猫
c. 1935
Color woodblock print
Tanuki under the Moon
Woodblock print
Tiger and Bamboo (1)
Woodblock print
The Floating Pavilion at Katada (Katada Ukimido), from the series "Eight Views of Omi (Omi hakkei)"
May 1918
Color woodblock print
Black Cat
early 1970s
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Leisure Hours (Nude and Cat)
Woodblock print
Badger, 1930s
Woodblock print
Chinese Lion
1966
Stencil on paper; edition 12/50
Black Cat in Tree
1940
Color woodblock print
Animal in the Snow
Woman Leading Daikoku on Horse
Woodblock print
YOJIRO THE MONKEY TRAINER
Woodblock print
Hebi tsukai / Snake Charmers, signed in pencil and in brush,
1932
Woodblock print
Sketch of a Tiger
1926
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Rabbit and Fish
spring 1855
Woodblock print
Zodiac Series of Erotica: Dog
Showa - Contemporary 1970's
Drawing
Zodiac Series of Erotica: Dragon
Showa - Contemporary 1970's
Drawing
Play with the dog
1897
Woodblock print
Biblical Scene - Daniel in the lion's den
Woodblock print
Ten Types of Female Nudes: Black Cat (Rajo jusshu: Yokushitsu nite)
Woodblock print
Madonna Bear (45/60)
Woodblock print
Heart Sutra with Sea Turtle (42/50)
Woodblock print
Turtle Island (14/40)
Woodblock print
Girls Kite, Dragon (11/50)
Woodblock print
Kanzeon and Deer (66/66)
Woodblock print
Manjusri and the Sea Turtle Diptych (22/50)
Woodblock print
Kannon and Golden Dragon, Green (57/100)
Woodblock print
Cat and Calligraphy B6
Woodblock print
Cat Looking Back W
Woodblock print
Black cat and cherry blossoms
Woodblock print
Cat's Love
Woodblock print
A Frog on Lotus Leaf
Woodblock print
Black Cat
Woodblock print
Cat- Kitten
Woodblock print
Black Cat
Woodblock print
Tiger lilies
Woodblock print
Dog Show
Woodblock print
White cat
Woodblock print
Cat and Stars — Neko to Hoshi
Woodblock print
Horse in the Wind
Woodblock print
Afternoon Cat - Gogo no Neko
Woodblock print
Neko wo Daku- Girl Holding Cat
Woodblock print
GOGO NO NEKO (cat in afternoon)
Woodblock print
Ox Cart at Night
Woodblock print
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Animal subjects in Japanese woodblock prints extend well beyond the birds-and-flowers genre to encompass a wide range of creatures — horses, cats, fish, insects, rabbits, foxes, and mythological beasts — each carrying distinct cultural associations and artistic challenges. Animals appear as primary subjects, as symbolic elements within larger compositions, and as characters in narrative prints drawn from folklore and literature.
Ishiwata Koitsu, Ohara Koson, and Jun'ichiro Sekino are among the artists most associated with animals in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 865 prints tagged with animals, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.