Potted Chrysanthyemum

A potted chrysanthemum — kiku — rendered in the kacho-e tradition of bird-and-flower subjects, though here focused entirely on the cultivated bloom as object and seasonal emblem. The chrysanthemum carries deep associations with autumn and imperial symbolism in Japan, and Ito's choice to depict it in a pot rather than in a garden or arrangement emphasizes its domesticated, tended character. Compositionally, the print likely balances the flowering plant against a spare background, allowing the layered petals — possibly mum varieties cultivated for Kyoto's autumn exhibitions — to serve as the dominant visual element. Ito's handling of botanical subjects draws on the precise observation of Kano and Rimpa painting traditions he absorbed through his Kyoto training, translating floral structure into woodblock through careful key-block line and carefully registered color impressions on absorbent washi.