Amaranthus

A second compositional study of amaranthus in Taisui's floral series, this woodblock print likely varies from the first in the orientation of the pendant flower spikes or the treatment of the surrounding foliage. Amaranthus offered Taisui rich material for exploring deep reds and greens against lighter grounds — colors well suited to the nuanced pigment work characteristic of [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) production. The Sakai-Kawaguchi printing workshop would have applied multiple color blocks to achieve the dense, particulate texture of the blooms. Within a series of three amaranthus designs, this print represents a distinct compositional arrangement rather than a reprint, consistent with the shin-hanga practice of issuing thematically unified but individually varied sequences.