Description
Magnificent triptych of polychrome woodblock prints made in October 1881 by the artist Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延). The work, produced by the publisher Naoha Shuhei (猶葉周平), is entitled “Party of Beautiful Women Joyously Celebrating the Flowers Blooming” (開花賀悦美人揃). In the left and center panels we see the emperor Meiji (明治天皇) in the company of the empress consort Shoken (昭憲皇后).
The artist depicts the flowering of peonies, irises, sakura, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and morning glories everywhere: from the clothes of the court ladies to the wall decorations, from the tablecloths to the floor. The result is an amazing, but at the same time elegant and harmonious, graphic composition.
The prints on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the signs of oxidation of some pigments, are in good condition.
