Amaranthus

The third in Taisui's amaranthus series, this [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) completes a [triptych](/glossary/triptych) of botanical studies centered on the plant's arching stems and heavy, downward-trailing flower clusters. Amaranthus was an unusual subject in [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga), making Taisui's sustained attention to it — across three separate prints — noteworthy. This variant may shift the viewing angle or the proportion of stem to bloom relative to the earlier two designs. The Sakai-Kawaguchi workshop's skilled craftsmen would have used fine woodblock cutting to render the individual florets within each spike. Printed on quality [washi](/glossary/washi), the composition likely employs soft background [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) to model depth behind the botanical subject, consistent with Taisui's approach across his floral output.