The White Falcon
Isoda Koryusai
1780
Medium
Color woodblock print; ishizuri-e
Dimensions
88.8 × 29.5 cm (35 × 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
59200
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Isoda Koryūsai was catering to the tastes of warriors, who used falcons for hunting, when he designed this image of a proud white falcon set against a solid black background. The print’s large size is reminiscent of the more formal hanging-scroll paintings typically collected by the samurai class. It is one of the few hand-colored prints the artist made using a complex technique that mimics stone rubbing.