Long-tailed Rooster

Onagadori are roosters specially bred in Japan for their long tail feathers. Here, Shibata Zeshin depicted an extraordinary specimen whose feathers hang to the ground from the rooster's perch on a plum branch. Typical of Zeshin's style, the bird is rendered with superhuman precision, with each feather of its luxurious plumage carefully delineated in lustrous pigments.