Plants and animals, in particular the swallow, are recurring motifs in Japanese art (for further information see: Maria Teresa Lattarulo, L’arte figurativa giapponese. Fiori, bellezze, visioni. 1400-2000, Progedit, Bari 2021, https://www.progedit.com/pro…/larte-figurativa-giapponese/ ); Maria Teresa Lattarulo, Luoghi famosi del Giappone. Viaggio attraverso l’arte, Progedit, Bari, 2023, https://www.progedit.com/prodotto/luoghi-famosi-del-giappone/ ).
The swallow, or tsubame, is a symbol in Japan of spring bordering on summer. This bird, in fact, returns every year in April from the southern islands and south-east Asia to repopulate the nests it had left the previous autumn, thus providing a foretaste of the arrival of warm, light-filled days. Since male and female mate for life, the swallow is also an emblem of marital fidelity and fertility and is a good omen. As we will see better at the end of the post, the swallow in the Western world is a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event which is celebrated on the Easter holiday, therefore, in a period in which nature is in full spring rebirth.
The little swallow is a passerine bird of the Hirundinidae family. In particular, the common swallow, or Hirundo rustica, has angled and pointed wings and a characteristic long and forked tail which gives it an aerodynamic shape. The plumage has blue iridescence and is white on the belly and rusty orange around the beak. We are talking about a bird that is very useful in agriculture because it feeds on insects that are harmful to the crop. Its elegant, rapid and efficient flight, made up of low descents over meadows or ponds and dramatic turns, derives from the need to capture and feed on insects.
At the same time, the swallow is a very dedicated and loving animal towards fledglings. For fear of predators that live in uninhabited places, it tends to place its mud and straw nests in ravines of houses and barns. This returning bird also arrives in the city when the cherries ripen, nesting near schools, stations, shops and various buildings. The dance of the swallows is accompanied by festive chirps that fill the air with summer fervor, while the wind accompanies their bold evolutions in the bright April sky.
In Japanese culture, it is believed that it is good luck to spot the first swallow, almost as if it were a messenger from the gods bringing a new beginning. Thus, it is also a good omen when swallows make nests, which, therefore, are not removed, on houses. This custom continues even today and is particularly felt because the species of birds we are dealing with are becoming increasingly rare due to the insecticides used in agriculture.
The swallow is often depicted in flight with spread wings that convey a sense of movement and freedom. However, a classic representation is also the one in which the swallow is sitting on a willow tree. Clinging to the supple branches of that tree, the resulting image appears in all its grace and loveliness. Swallow and willow are reproduced on one of the hanafuda playing cards that represent plants and animals.
The swallow motif is also used for kimonos and summer obis, including those made with embroidery, as well as for ceramics and other decorative arts. Even today, many Japanese artists and designers are inspired by the traditional theme of the swallow with its ever-present charm.
In the haiku, the kigo regarding the swallow, that is, the verses that refer to it as a sign that alludes to a season, ideally retrace all the stages of its journey. A spring kigo, for example, is “the first swallow of the season”; in summer, “swallow’s nest” or “swallow chicks”; in autumn, “swallows returning to the south”; in winter, “forgotten swallow”.
Just as the arrival of the swallows is a seasonal sign of spring, their departure becomes a symbol of autumn, with its nostalgic goodbye to the beautiful season.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Barn Swallows and Wisteria (Fuji ni tsubame), ca. 1840, The Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Museum), Providence, RI
A pair of swallows gracefully hovers around a pendulous wisteria. This flower, with its light cluster shape and delicate shades, is another protagonist of spring as it advances towards its peak. A thin shoot descends from the dark green leaves and forms sinuous curves in the air. According to the principles of yin and yang, one of the two swallows has its beak closed while the other has its beak open; both birds are captured in different flight manoeuvres. The void, crossed by a line, is always the element that enhances the refinement of the whole.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Pear Blossoms and Swallows, ca. 1840, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The thin branches of the pear tree, delicately flowering, form the backdrop to the perfectly synchronous flight of this pair of swallows, an image of marital harmony. The author captures a moment of the swooping descent. The spread wings and outstretched tails give impetus to the figures and dynamism to the scene as a whole.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Swallows and Budding Wild Cherry, ca. 1835, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The above print conveys a strong sense of movement. In fact, the swallows are caught in different positions, giving the impression of doing somersaults. They seem to dive headlong into the fragrant spring air, this being crossed by a slender wild cherry branch where the first buds have appeared. Slight gradations of color, obtained with the bokashi technique, give the sky a pinkish hue. The haiku, set in spring due to the presence of swallows is by Takarai Kikaku (Enomoto Kikaku, 1661–1707), one of the major disciples of Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694), reads as follows:
Yama no ha ni
tsubame o kaesu
irihi kana
The setting sun
over the mountain ridge
send the swallows home
(Translated by John T. Carpenter from the Met website)
Utagawa Hiroshige, Swallows and Kingfisher with Rose Mallows, ca. 1838, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
In the print above a pair of swallows descends in flight, in a pearly light, on a lush branch of mauve rose with large pink flowers and large dark green leaves. The inviting colors and scents have also attracted kingfishers. The poem reads:
Ariake no
nurete ochitaru
fuyō kana
In moonlight at dawn,
dew-drenched they fall
rose mallow blossoms
(Translated by John T. Carpenter from the Met website)
In this Hokusai print, the swallow, towards which a sumptuously flowered branch of hydrangeas extends, is caught in a swooping flight. The scene takes place in summer, the flowering season of that plant. It is as if the bird wanted to dive into the foamy mass of petals.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Swallow and Poppies, ca. 1830, The Art Institute of Chicago
The scent of the beautiful season also seems to emanate from this print with poppies. The motif of the tiny swallow in flight and the long, brightly colored flowering stem that crosses the void is very graceful.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Barn Swallows and Peach Blossoms in Rain (Ame ni momo ni tsubame), ca. 1830, The Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Museum), Providence, RI
The image consisting of swallows in flight and a flowering peach branch in the rain is very fresh. The gush of water crosses the scene obliquely, descending onto the broken-shaped branch which is softened by the large pink buds and a pattern of small leaves. The swallow in the rain is also a poetic theme of summer. The poem expresses a question of immortality in the face of nature’s rebirth:
Spring has come
and all the streams are filled with peach blossoms
No one knows where the land of the immortals is – all wonder (from the museum website)
Utagawa Hiroshige, Barn Swallows above Waves (Nami ni tsubame), ca. 1840, The Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Museum), Providence, RI
Swallows are migratory birds, and as such they are great fliers who can travel considerable distances, crossing the seas, so as to reach distant lands. In many cultures they are therefore considered animals of travel, an image of sailors and a symbol of freedom. After this search for boundless horizons, however, the swallows return home to the nest to which they are deeply attached. In the meantime, they crossed open spaces, followed the evolution of the wind, breathed the spray of the waves. In this print, the movement made by the pair of swallows draws a curve in the air that recalls the one formed by the foamy wave in the foreground. The poem reads:
Yono naka no
yoko habashira nu
otsudori kana
Birds so young and lovely
have no idea
how wide is the world (from the museum website)
Utagawa Hiroshige, Barn Swallows and Peach Blossoms under Full Moon (Tsukiyo momo ni tsubame), ca. 1830, The Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Museum), Providence, RI
In this image of great tenderness, two swallows try to reach with elegant flight some peach blossoms to which they are irresistibly attracted. Meanwhile, moonbeams drip from the supple branches, thus filling the air with a milky light. The poem compares the beauty of spring to something ideal:
Spring has come and
peach blossoms float in all the streams
how impossible to determine where utopia is (from the museum website).
Swallows are often depicted with the willow, another symbol of spring. In this shinhanga print, they fly downhill, gliding, among the branches caressed by the wind. The contours are blurred and the colour spots appear fluid, as in painting.
Ohara Koson, Swallow with Peony, 1900-1930, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
In this other shinhanga print a small swallow has delicately landed on the branch of an enormous white peony with large petals with jagged edges. The author captures the moment, with a slightly melancholy tone, in which a petal detaches from the flower, getting lost in the wind. The stretch is not defined and stems and foliage blend into the fog.
Tsukioka Tanka, Descending Geese and Flying Swallows (Kaeru gan to kuru tsubame), 1825, The Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Museum), Providence, RI
In this uchiwae, i.e. fan-shaped, print, two wild geese descend into the layer of ocher autumn sky, while a group of swallows with lively movements takes flight. The moment in which the autumn birds arrive, and the summer birds leave, is described. With such turnover, a seasonal transition is highlighted. It is precisely in these transitional phases that mono no aware, the nostalgia for the ephemeral nature of all things destined to fly away like the memory of a beautiful summer, is most acutely perceived.
Rossello di Jacopo Franchi, Virgin and Child, ca. 1430, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
Just as in Japan swallows, as spring birds, are connected to the auspicious idea of a new beginning, also in the West they represent a happy announcement of news. The latter becomes the good news of the Gospel, that is, the idea that life will prevail over death. The first to manifest this truth with his own life is Christ who resurrects on Easter night, defeating death forever. It was believed that swallows spent the winter hibernating in their nests and therefore their reappearance in spring suggested a rebirth to a new life. The swallow flying in the spring sky is therefore a poetic image of the Resurrection. In this painting, probably the central panel of an altarpiece, a Madonna enthroned with Child is depicted. The image, with a strong sense of volumetric plasticity and perspective, portrays baby Jesus holding a swallow in his hand, one of his own iconographic attributes.
For those interested in further information on Japanese art, we point out:
Maria Teresa Lattarulo, L’arte figurativa giapponese. Fiori, bellezze, visioni. 1400-2000, Progedit, Bari 2021, acquistabile sul sito https://www.progedit.com/pro…/larte-figurativa-giapponese/ );
Maria Teresa Lattarulo, Luoghi famosi del Giappone. Viaggio attraverso l’arte, Progedit, Bari, 2023, acquistabile su https://www.progedit.com/prodotto/luoghi-famosi-del-giappone/
Both texts can also be found on the main book sales sites and in the main bookstores.
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