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

Sugiura Kazutoshi

杉浦和俊

1938–2024

Ohara Koson

小原古邨

1877–1945

Kimura Yoshiharu

木村吉晴

Nishimura Hodo

西村蒲堂

Inuzuka Taisui

犬塚泰水

Kaoru Kawano

川野薫

Woodblock print

Cherry Blossoms (Kaia at The Ned London)

桜咲く

2025

Faux stained-glass installation

Peonies

July 1929

Cardinals

Woodblock print

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Woodblock print

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

Fukisaburo, Shakkyo no botan (Fukisaburo, Peony) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

Miyamoto Musashi, Kisoyama no yukiwariso (Miyamoto Musashi, Primrose of Kisoyama) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers)

Odaka Tonomo, Nazo no ayame (Odaka Tonomo, Iris) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Chinese Bellflower — 桔梗

Woodblock print

Sakura saku (Cherry Blossoms Are Blooming)

桜咲く

2024

Site-specific installation, Watts Gallery

Illustration of The Bluebell (Asagao), Chapter 20 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari)

19th century

Almost looks like a painting/drawing

Corsage (T.4)

1970

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Nest H

1966

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Woodblock print

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Woodblock print

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

1926

Woodblock print

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

Japanese white-eye on flowering branch

1830s–1840s

Color woodblock print; yotsugiriban

Irises

Not set

Woodblock print

Hares and Roses

c. 1783

Color woodblock print; hashira-e

Jiraiya, Tsubo-sumire (Jiraiya, Violet) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Kiyomizu mode no Kagekiyo, Moyo no azami (Kagekiyo on a Kiyomizu Pilgrimage, Thistle) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Matsunami Kengyo, jitsuwa Akushichi Byoei, Hikyoku no biwanohana (Matsunami Kengyo, in reality Akushichi Byoei, Flower of Loquat) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Descending Geese

c. 1830

Woodblock print; nagaban, surimono

Passionate of the Water Fowl

1960

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Shoson Ohara

Woodblock print

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Woodblock print

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Woodblock print

Kayamura Rokusuke, Kadode no tsubaki (Keyamura Rokusuke, Camelia) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

HANA (flowers)

Woodblock print

Dogwood 2

2001

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Woodblock print

Related Subjects

Abstract Airport Animals Architecture Autumn Foliage Bijin-ga Boats & Ships Bridges

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Birds & Flowers Prints (1639)

Artists Known for Birds & Flowers

Sugiura Kazutoshi

Ohara Koson

Kimura Yoshiharu

Nishimura Hodo

Inuzuka Taisui

Kaoru Kawano

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Zinnias in Vase

Two Waterfowl, from The Picture Book of Realistic Paintings of Hokusai (Hokusai shashin gafu)

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Cherry Blossoms (Kaia at The Ned London)

Peonies

Taisui, Inuzuka

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Eboshiori Motome, Ukon no tachibana (Eboshiori Motome, Mandarin Orange) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Cardinals

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Fukisaburo, Shakkyo no botan (Fukisaburo, Peony) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Miyamoto Musashi, Kisoyama no yukiwariso (Miyamoto Musashi, Primrose of Kisoyama) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers)

Odaka Tonomo, Nazo no ayame (Odaka Tonomo, Iris) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Chinese Bellflower — 桔梗

Sakura saku (Cherry Blossoms Are Blooming)

Illustration of The Bluebell (Asagao), Chapter 20 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari)

Corsage (T.4)

Nest H

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Japanese white-eye on flowering branch

Irises

Hares and Roses

Jiraiya, Tsubo-sumire (Jiraiya, Violet) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Kiyomizu mode no Kagekiyo, Moyo no azami (Kagekiyo on a Kiyomizu Pilgrimage, Thistle) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Matsunami Kengyo, jitsuwa Akushichi Byoei, Hikyoku no biwanohana (Matsunami Kengyo, in reality Akushichi Byoei, Flower of Loquat) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Descending Geese

Passionate of the Water Fowl

Shoson Ohara

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Untitled (soseki-komori)

Kayamura Rokusuke, Kadode no tsubaki (Keyamura Rokusuke, Camelia) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

HANA (flowers)

Dogwood 2

Mikawa no Yatsubashi no kozu / Shokoku Meikyo Kiran

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Pray to Blossom (pink)

A Little Red Bird

Bird Catcher

Peonies in Vase

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Niki Naonori, Iwate no tsutsuji (Niki Naonori, Azalea) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立 三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

Related Subjects

Frequently Asked Questions

Eboshiori Motome, Ukon no tachibana (Eboshiori Motome, Mandarin Orange) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Fukisaburo, Shakkyo no botan (Fukisaburo, Peony) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Miyamoto Musashi, Kisoyama no yukiwariso (Miyamoto Musashi, Primrose of Kisoyama) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers)

Odaka Tonomo, Nazo no ayame (Odaka Tonomo, Iris) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Jiraiya, Tsubo-sumire (Jiraiya, Violet) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Kiyomizu mode no Kagekiyo, Moyo no azami (Kagekiyo on a Kiyomizu Pilgrimage, Thistle) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Matsunami Kengyo, jitsuwa Akushichi Byoei, Hikyoku no biwanohana (Matsunami Kengyo, in reality Akushichi Byoei, Flower of Loquat) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Kayamura Rokusuke, Kadode no tsubaki (Keyamura Rokusuke, Camelia) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))

Niki Naonori, Iwate no tsutsuji (Niki Naonori, Azalea) / Tosei mitate sanju-rokkasen 當盛見立三十六花撰 (Contemporary Kabuki Actors Likened to Thirty-Six Flowers (Immortals of Poetry))