Image

Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重

Java Sparrow and Sasanqua Camellia (Sazanka ni bunchô), Edo (Japanese period)

Description

Maker

Title

Java Sparrow and Sasanqua Camellia (Sazanka ni bunchô)

Year

Edo (Japanese period)

Medium

ink, color

Materials/Techniques

Dimensions

Image: 33.8 x 11.4 cm (13 5/16 x 4 1/2 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Poem: Sazanka ya/dore gasa sakari no/hana no iro Which one/is the peak color/of the clematis?The poem probably relates to the notion of saturation by moisture which enhances the color of the clematis; the color deepens as the moisture caught in its cup-like blossom sinks into the petals. The poem can be given a sexual twist using the same imagery, noting also that the word "sakari" carries the meanings of "peak," "height" and "in full flush," in flower and sexual contexts.

Signature: Signed at lower right | Hiroshige hitsu

Seals: Artist's seal | Ichiryûsai

Place

Place Made: Japan; Place Made: Edo (location)

Type

Credit

Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Object Number

34.143

About

Java Sparrow and Sasanqua Camellia (Sazanka ni bunchô)

Poem: Sazanka ya/dore gasa sakari no/hana no iro Which one/is the peak color/of the clematis?The poem probably relates to the notion of saturation by moisture which enhances the color of the clematis; the color deepens as the moisture caught in its cup-like blossom sinks into the petals. The poem can be given a sexual twist using the same imagery, noting also that the word "sakari" carries the meanings of "peak," "height" and "in full flush," in flower and sexual contexts.

Signature: Signed at lower right | Hiroshige hitsu

Seals: Artist's seal | Ichiryûsai

Place Made: Japan; Place Made: Edo (location)

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Java Sparrow and Sasanqua Camellia (Sazanka ni bunchô) with the accession number of 34.143. To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.