Sparrowhawk (Konori taka)
c. 1716
Medium
Hand-colored woodblock print; vertical o-oban, tan-e
Dimensions
55.2 × 28.6 cm (21 3/4 × 11 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19163
Art Historical Context
Behold the striking *Sparrowhawk (Kon taka)* by Torii Kiyomasu I, created around 1716. This hand-colored woodblock print, the vertical o-oban format measuring an impressive 55.2 × 28.6 cm, exemplifies early Edo-period artistry from Japan's ukiyo-e tradition. Housed in the Art Institute Chicago's Arts of Asia, it captures the fierce elegance of the sparrowhawk—a bird of prey revered in Japanese culture for its speed and precision. Kiyomasu I, a key figure in the Torii school founded by his contemporary Torii Kiyonobu I, helped pioneer the bold, theatrical style of yakusha-e (actor prints) that...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomasu I
Torii Kiyomasu I was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist working in the early eighteenth century, closely associated with the Torii school, one of the most important lineages in the history of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The Torii school was founded by Torii Kiyonobu, and Kiyomasu I is believed to have been either his son or a close pupil — the precise family relationship remains a matter of scholarly d...