(Flowering silk tree) by Kitagawa Saigyo

(Flowering silk tree) c. 1830 - 1843

print, ink, color-on-paper

toned paper

water colours

ink paper printed

print

henna art

japan

ink

color-on-paper

botanical drawing

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

sketchbook art

botanical art

watercolor

"Flowering Silk Tree," a *surimono* (printed image) by Kitagawa Saigyo, exemplifies the refined artistry of 19th-century Japanese woodblock printing. Delicate pink blossoms and feathery foliage are rendered with subtle washes of color, while the inclusion of a poem in the artist's elegant calligraphy adds a literary dimension. The *surimono* format, often commissioned by patrons for special occasions, demonstrates the close relationship between art and literature in Japanese culture.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

Silk trees are a common sight in gardens and along boulevards in Japan. Their luxuriant foliage offers welcome shade in the heat of summer. Silk trees also produce elegant, pale pink flowers, as depicted here. Saigyo's rendering well represents their downy texture. Because its leaves close during the night and droop downward, the silk tree is popularly called "nemu no ki" or "sleeping tree" in Japanese. This unusual feature has inspired many poets who lyrically refer to "sleeping trees" in their verses about summer.