99 Kōgyō Terasaki 1866 – 1919 Warbler and Plum Tree

publisher: Bungei Kurabu

This print belongs to the same series of twelve shunga designs (The Twelve Months in Shunga), each corresponding to a month of the year and accompanied by a short calligraphic text with a romantic or poetic motif. Published around 1899 by Bungei Kurabu, the series marks a refined fusion of the late Meiji shunga tradition with the sensibilities of nihonga painting.

Terasaki Kōgyō, a pupil of Kōno Bairei of the Shijō school, was a leading figure of Meiji-period nihonga painting and one of the key artists bridging classical and modern Japanese art. His works combine lyrical delicacy with subtle realism and emotional depth. Even his rare erotic designs display great compositional balance, refined color harmony, and a painterly sensitivity characteristic of his mature style.