Birds & Flowers Prints (1639)
Birds and flowers (kacho-ga) form one of the three classical subject categories of East Asian painting, alongside landscapes and figures. In Japanese woodblock printmaking, the tradition produced some of the medium's most technically accomplished works, demanding exceptional carving precision for feather details and botanical accuracy. Hokusai's "Small Flowers" series and Hiroshige's bird-and-flower prints of the 1830s established kacho-ga as a major ukiyo-e genre. These works combined natural observation with poetic sensibility, often incorporating verses that amplified the seasonal or emotional associations of their subjects. The surimono tradition — privately commissioned luxury prints — particularly favored bird-and-flower subjects, producing exquisite small-format works with metallic pigments and blind embossing. Shin-hanga artists continued the tradition with renewed naturalistic ambition. Ohara Koson (also known as Shoson) became the genre's most prolific modern practitioner, creating hundreds of bird-and-flower designs that combined scientific observation with decorative elegance. His prints of egrets, crows, and songbirds in atmospheric settings became internationally popular. The genre demands particular technical skill in color gradation and fine-line carving, making kacho-ga prints a showcase for the collaborative craft of designer, carver, and printer.
Artists Known for Birds & Flowers
Swallow over the Ocean Wave
description
Woodblock print
Wagtail and Lotus
c. 1900–1945
Woodblock print
Water Hollyhock
c. 1928–1930
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Water Lily
c. 1928–1930
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
White Lily
c. 1928–1930
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with embossing
Flower Seller in the Rain
Woodblock print
Flower - 花
1980
Woodblock print
Fuji Musume- Wisteria Girl
Not set
Woodblock print
Head of the Hydrangea Mansion — あぢさい舎主人像
circa 1930-1960
Woodblock print
Iris Kimono - あやめゆかた
1932
Woodblock print
Peony Snowflakes — 牡丹雪
1933
Woodblock print
Heron Maiden
c. 1930
Woodblock print
Heron Maiden in Snow
Not set
Woodblock print
Hawk Woman
1958
Woodblock print
Hawk Woman (Taka no onna no saku)
1955 (printed 1958)
Woodblock print; edition 106/200
The Night Visit, from the series "Story of the Cormorant"
About 1938
Woodblock print
Woman with Hibiscus Blossom (Haibisukasu no onna)
Shōwa period,
Woodblock print; ink on paper
Girl (Hydrangea)
1948
Color woodblock print
Flower
Woodblock print
White Flower
Woodblock print
Yellow Flower (Gelbe Blume)
1947
Color woodblock print
Bird in Plum Tree (Year of the Snake)
1929
Woodcut print
Bird on Desk (Kijo kotori)
1928
Woodcut print
Carnation
1923
Woodcut print
Chrysanthemum
Woodblock print
Crane Pulling Cart, from roof tile
1930s
Woodblock print
Flower of the Evergreen Magnolia
1970
Woodblock print
An Owl - Forest
Woodblock print
Girl with Crane (Tsuru no shojo)
1953
Woodblock print
Kingfisher and Irises
1927
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Kingfisher (Kawasemi)
1928
Woodcut print
One Glass Water (Rose Flower in Glass)
1943
Woodblock print
Parrot
20th century
Woodcut print
Partial Rosette Segment from a Roof Tile and Peony from a Roof Tile
1930s
Woodblock prints
Peony
1927
Woodcut print
Plum Blossom and Small Bird
1922
Woodcut print
Small Bird from a Fairy Tale (Dowa no kotori)
1928
Woodblock print
Flower Garden, Shôwa period, dated 1963
Woodblock print
Peter and the Rooster
1974
Hand-colored stencil print on crumpled paper; edition 3/70
(Rooster)
Woodblock print
Untitled, Bird and Person
Woodblock print
![[Boy with bird on his head] by Jun'ichiro Sekino](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/135553.jpg)
[Boy with bird on his head]
20th century
Screen print, color on paper (?)
Seki: Lotus Pond
Woodblock print
A Bird Flying Over A Cherry Tree Blossom
Woodblock print
A Bird Walking On A Man
Woodblock print
A Mountain man With Bird
Woodblock print
Asking the Bird — Tori ni Kiku
Woodblock print
Bird and a Tool (Tori to dogu)
1969
Color woodblock print; edition 168/185
Bird and Flowers
Woodblock print
![Bird and Mountaineer (2) (Tori to yama otoko [2]) by Umetaro Azechi](https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/3f69ecec-5e13-a163-e35d-38216cc81f0c/full/843,/0/default.jpg)
Bird and Mountaineer (2) (Tori to yama otoko [2])
1972
Color woodblock print
Bird and Six Mountain Men
Woodblock print
Bird Perched On A Cherry Tree Branch
Woodblock print
Man and Bird
1955
Color woodblock print; edition 73/100
Mman and a white bird
Woodblock print
Mountain Climber Holding Bird
Woodblock print
Red Bird
Woodblock print
Rescued Bird
1957
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
![Title unknown [Abstract bird] by Umetaro Azechi](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/135649.jpg)
Title unknown [Abstract bird]
1960
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
![Title unknown [Man in red hat with bird] by Umetaro Azechi](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/132412.jpg)
Title unknown [Man in red hat with bird]
mid 20th century
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Unknown- Mountain Man Holding Bird
Woodblock print
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Birds and flowers (kacho-ga) form one of the three classical subject categories of East Asian painting, alongside landscapes and figures. In Japanese woodblock printmaking, the tradition produced some of the medium's most technically accomplished works, demanding exceptional carving precision for feather details and botanical accuracy.
Sugiura Kazutoshi, Ohara Koson, and Kimura Yoshiharu are among the artists most associated with birds & flowers in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 1639 prints tagged with birds & flowers, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.