Woodblock print of a kingfisher diving toward blue water, framed by arching reeds and small flowering plants.
Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重, Kingfisher, Nandina Berries, and Reeds , Edo Period. Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Shimmering Beauty

Kingfishers in Art and Poetry
December 20, 2025 - June 7, 2026
Woodblock print of a kingfisher diving toward blue water, framed by arching reeds and small flowering plants.
Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重, Kingfisher, Nandina Berries, and Reeds , Edo Period. Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Introduction

Brilliant and jewel-toned, the kingfisher has inspired artists and poets for centuries. In Japan, this iridescent bird frequently appears in kachō hanga (bird-and-flower prints), paired with blossoms and poetry to celebrate its vitality and shimmering beauty. In China, its radiant feathers once adorned jewelry and luxury objects. Drawing from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller collection, this exhibition brings together 15 exquisite Japanese prints and examples of rare Chinese featherwork, illuminating the kingfisher’s cultural significance across poetry, printmaking, and ornament from the 1700s through the 1900s.

Wai Yee Chiong

RISD Museum is supported by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and with the generous partnership of the Rhode Island School of Design, its Board of Trustees, and Museum Governors.