Chrysanthemum of chrysant before 1895

This photographic print of chrysanthemums was created by Kazumasa Ogawa, who lived from 1860 to 1929. The precise date of the work is unknown. Ogawa was a pioneer of photography and printing techniques in Japan, and this piece shows off his mastery of the collotype process. Unlike traditional photography which relies on a negative, collotype uses a glass plate coated with gelatin. This is exposed to light, creating a printing surface that can reproduce incredibly fine details and subtle tones, as you can see in the delicate petals and leaves. What’s interesting is that collotype printing, while capable of beautiful results, was also incredibly labor-intensive, demanding a high level of skill and meticulous attention to detail. While photography was becoming more industrialized in the West, Ogawa embraced a process that retained a strong connection to craft traditions. This print invites us to consider the relationship between technology, artistry, and the value we place on both mass production and handcrafted objects.