Two Birds - Totoya Hokkei

A delicate woodblock surimono print by Totoya Hokkei, featuring two birds rendered with fine lines and a muted, naturalistic colour palette.

This woodblock print by Totoya Hokkei belongs to the genre of kacho-ga, or bird-and-flower pictures. Hokkei was a prominent pupil of Katsushika Hokusai, and his work often appeared in the form of surimono. These were privately commissioned prints, typically produced for poetry circles or special occasions, and they are noted for their high production quality, often incorporating metallic pigments or embossing.

The composition features two birds rendered with careful attention to plumage and posture. The upper bird is depicted in a more vertical orientation, while the lower bird is angled downwards, creating a sense of movement within the frame. The artist employs a delicate line quality to define the feathers and the texture of the birds, while the colour palette remains restrained, relying on soft greys, muted browns, and subtle touches of red on the feet and neck. The background is left largely empty, allowing the subjects to occupy the space without distraction.

Surimono prints frequently integrated calligraphy directly into the image. In this piece, the text flows around the birds, balancing the visual weight of the figures. The paper texture is visible, suggesting the use of high-quality washi, which was standard for this type of private commission. The red seals in the corners provide a visual anchor, identifying the artist and the specific poetry group or publisher associated with the print. This work reflects the technical precision of the Edo period, where the collaboration between artist, carver, and printer resulted in refined, small-scale works intended for close inspection by connoisseurs.