February Flower wind
- Medium:
- Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
- Image courtesy of
- Saru Gallery
The title evokes the late-winter moment when plum blossoms (ume) open in cold air—a long-established [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) subject linking February to the first signs of the coming spring. Sekino's bird-and-flower prints depart from the densely modeled studies of Edo-period kacho-e, favoring a flattened pictorial field, calligraphic branch-work, and reserved areas of [washi](/glossary/washi) left unprinted to suggest snow or sky. The hand-pulled impression on absorbent paper produces the soft pigment edge characteristic of mokuhanga. Within Sekino's wider output—dominated by portraits, theater subjects, and the Tokaido landscapes—the seasonal flower prints occupy a smaller but consistent strand. They demonstrate how the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) generation reworked traditional [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e) categories through a modernist sensibility that valued formal economy and graphic clarity over decorative density.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
February Flower wind was created by Jun'ichiro Sekino (関野準一郎).
February Flower wind depicts birds & flowers and winter.
