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Kitagawa Utamaro II

Flower arrangement with sweet-flag iris and nuphar

Description

Maker

Kitagawa Utamaro II (Japanese, 1804-1855)

Title

Flower arrangement with sweet-flag iris and nuphar

Period

Edo (Japanese period)

Year

ca. 1810?

Medium

wood block print

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

wood block print

Materials

ink

Supports

paper

Geography

Place Made: Japan; Place Made: Tokyo

Dimensions

21.9 x 17.5 cm (8 5/8 x 6 7/8 inches) (sheet) koban tate-e; Mat size: A; Asian Art Department Carpenter Inventory and Cataloging Project 2

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Inscription verso, top left: 2210; in a later hand inscribed verso, bottom right:MRD

Signature: Signed at right | Utamaro hitsu

Seals: Censor's seal | kiwame

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Object Number

34.577

Type

Prints

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.

Use & Feedback

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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)

Flower arrangement with sweet-flag iris and nuphar, ca. 1810?

wood block print

21.9 x 17.5 cm (8 5/8 x 6 7/8 inches) (sheet) koban tate-e; Mat size: A; Asian Art Department Carpenter Inventory and Cataloging Project 2

Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. 34.577

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