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Kitagawa Utamaro II

Flower arrangement with gentian (autumn bellflower)

Description

Maker

Kitagawa Utamaro II (Japanese, 1804-1855)
Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川歌麿 (Japanese, 1754-1806), previous attribution

Title

Flower arrangement with gentian (autumn bellflower)

Period

Edo (Japanese period)

Year

ca. 1810?

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

ink

Supports

Geography

Place Made: Japan; Place Made: Tokyo

Dimensions

23.2 x 16.8 cm (9 1/8 x 6 5/8 inches) (sheet) koban tate-e; Mat size: A; Asian Art Department Carpenter Inventory and Cataloging Project 2

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signature: Signed at left | Utamaro hitsu

Seals: Censor's seal | kiwame

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Object Number

34.585

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Samurai At Leisure
Nov 26, 2019 – May 24, 2020

Label copy

These woodblock prints by Utamaro II illustrate a selection of flower arrangements from the Edo period (1615-1868). Like the tea ceremony, the art of flower arrangement (ikebana or kado) was much pursued by the warrior class. Considered a refined pastime, the tradition flourished in the 1500s. Ikebana emphasized the attention to form and line as dictated by the natural inclinations of various flowering plants. Practitioners studied not only the different types of plants but also considered how their compositions were affected by the shapes of various vessels.

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Kitagawa Utamaro II (Japanese, 1804-1855)
Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川歌麿 (Japanese, 1754-1806), previous attribution
Flower arrangement with gentian (autumn bellflower), ca. 1810?
wood block print
23.2 x 16.8 cm (9 1/8 x 6 5/8 inches) (sheet) koban tate-e; Mat size: A; Asian Art Department Carpenter Inventory and Cataloging Project 2
Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. 34.585

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