Warbler in a cage, from the series "A Series for the Hanazono Group (Hanazono bantsuzuki)"
1823
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
20.8 × 18.6 cm (8 1/4 × 7 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23575
Art Historical Context
**Warbler in a Cage** in 1823 by Totoya Hokkei, a prominent ukiyo-e artist and pupil of the famed Katsushika Hokusai, *Warbler in a Cage* is a delicate color woodblock print from the series *A Series for Hanazono Group (azono bantsuzuki)*. Measuring just 20.8 × 18.6 cm in the intimate shikishiban format, this surimono— a luxurious, privately commissioned print—captures a bush warbler (uguisu) perched within a bamboo cage. Hokkei's fine lines and vibrant colors evoke the poetic elegance of Edo-period Japan, blending nature's beauty with subtle confinement. Surimono like this one were often p...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...