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Court Ladies among Cherry Trees Cherry Blossoms, a High Fence, and Attendants

Attributed to Tawaraya Sotatsu

Court Ladies among Cherry Trees Cherry Blossoms, a High Fence, and Attendants exhibition

Court Ladies among Cherry Trees Cherry Blossoms, a High Fence, and Attendants

High-resolution facsimiles

Material
printed, gold on washi paper
Period of creation
Tsuzuri Project Stage 5 2011–2012
Recipient
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)

Original

Artist
Attributed to Tawaraya Sotatsu
Historical era
Edo (17th century)
Material
ink, color and gold on washi paper
Medium
Pair of six-fold screens
Size
Each screen H148.0 × W371.0 cm
Collection
Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

Description

This work depicts a landscape in which a group of aristocratic women strolls through a garden of cherry trees in full bloom. Parked nearby are ox-carts, with their attendants resting beside a high brushwood fence. The fence, which runs diagonally across the screen, adds a sense of space to the composition and marks the boundary between the outside world and the garden, which was used solely for the enjoyment of the nobility of that long-ago period. The work inherits the simplified style of composition that Tawaraya Sotatsu and his followers had established in the 17th century. Although the practice of viewing cherry blossoms originated with an observance of the nobility of the Nara period, many had originally enjoyed viewing plum blossoms at the time. This later changed to an appreciation of cherry blossoms after the planting of cherry trees in residential premises had come into vogue among the nobility during the Heian period. During the Edo period, the custom of cherry blossom viewing spread to the common people, leading to the unique scenes of Japan that, even in modern times, contribute to a sense of spring's arrival.

How the Works Are Created

How the Works Are Created

This section introduces the production process of high resolution facsimiles by combining Canon’s latest imaging technology and the authentic craftsmanship of Kyoto in the Tsuzuri Project.

About the Tsuzuri Project

About the Tsuzuri Project

This section shares the significance and passion behind the Tsuzuri Project and how we utilize the high resolution facsimiles of precious cultural assets, which are designated as national treasures and important cultural assets, and Japanese artworks that have left Japan.