Kakemono Bamboo, Chrysanthemum and Sakura

In fine, loosely applied ink washes, this hanging scroll unites three of the most popular plant motifs of Japanese painting: chrysanthemums in bloom in the upper section, slender bamboo stalks in the middle of the composition, and budding blossom branches along the lower edge, gently leading the eye downward. The three plants grow as if naturally intertwined from a shared central axis of the composition.

The three motifs each stand for their own virtues – constancy and resilience in the case of bamboo, longevity in the case of the chrysanthemum, and awakening and renewal in the case of the blossoms – and together form an evocative composition suggesting the changing of the seasons. Two signatures with red seals, one beside the chrysanthemums and one beside the blossom branches, may point to a collaborative work by two artists.

The painting is done on paper, fitted with a wooden jikusaki, and dates from the Meiji period. The restrained coloring, kept in shades of gray, lends the hanging scroll a calm, elegant presence. A versatile motif for admirers of classical Japanese plant painting and traditional symbolism.