Spray of Plum-Blossoms — 梅枝

"Spray of Plum-Blossoms" (Umegae, Chapter 32) is a second rendering by Ebina of the chapter in which preparations for the Akashi Princess's departure to the Crown Prince's household center on the blending of incense and the exchange of poetry with plum-blossom imagery. The plum branch — first flower of the new year, associated with hope, endurance, and the persistence of beauty through winter — gives the chapter its title and its emotional keynote. This variant likely explores a different scene or compositional approach to the same chapter.