Flowers
Original Language Title四季草花図
CultureJapanese
Datelate 17th-early 18th century
MediumTwo panel screen; ink, colors and gofun on plain gold-foiled paper, framed in lacquered wood. Unsigned and unsealed
DimensionsOverall: 65 5/8 × 72 1/2 inches (166.69 × 184.15 cm)
Credit LineGift of Jean and Moulton Green Jr.
Object number2016.8
SignedNone
InscribedNone
MarkingsNone
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionA single, two-panel screen painting with gold leaves, pigments and ink, depicting varieties of flowers throughout four seasons: a dense group of blossoming flowers is painted on the lower part of the left panel; a plum branch extends to the right panel; and a small group of flowers is placed on the lower part of the right panel. The screen is framed with a modern reddish-orange lacquer frame.Exhibition HistoryNone known.
Flowers mark the arrival of a new season. Their delightful appearances, paired with the symbolism of new beginnings, enrich our lives. Here, the artist rendered an imaginary garden where flowers of all four seasons are simultaneously in full bloom. Starting from the autumnal morning glories on the bottom right and continuing clockwise, springtime daises, summer hydrangeas, and winter camellia sasanqua sing together to celebrate the beauty of each season. The chorus of flowers ends with the plum branch that points back to the beginning as if suggesting the cycle of seasons and fleeting time.
Purchased from Mayuyama & Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, by Jean Green, 1968.
Given to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art by Jean Green, 2016.
None known.
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