Hanga
Coleus by Inuzuka Taisui — Japanese Woodblock print

Coleus

by Inuzuka Taisui

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Japanese Art Open Database

Description

Taisui's third coleus design continues the systematic examination of this foliage plant's visual properties across the nine-print series. Unlike kacho-e subjects that incorporate seasonal birds or flowering branches, the coleus prints depend entirely on leaf form and color for their visual argument — a formally rigorous approach. This variant likely experiments with the density of foliage in frame, perhaps showing a fuller cluster or a more isolated single stem than adjacent prints. The Sakai-Kawaguchi workshop's precision in pigment mixing and block registration would have been essential in maintaining the distinct color zones within each leaf — particularly the crisp demarcation between central and marginal coloration that gives coleus leaves their ornamental character.

More Prints by Inuzuka Taisui

Featured in Collections

Curated cross-cuts that include this print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Coleus was created by Inuzuka Taisui (犬塚泰水).