Crown in Rain on Plum Branch
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Chazen Museum of Art
- Image courtesy of
- Chazen Museum of Art
Description
A crow (the title's 'crown' likely a transliteration variant) sheltering on a plum branch in rain combines two resonant seasonal motifs: the ume blossom as a herald of late winter and early spring, and rain as a textural and atmospheric element. Kyosai would have used fine parallel line carving to suggest falling rain, a technique requiring careful registration across multiple blocks. The plum branch — often rendered with angular, dry-brush qualities in painting — translates into woodblock as a series of precisely carved forms. The pairing of a dark corvid with pale plum blossoms creates a chromatic contrast typical of Kyosai's kacho-e compositions.
More Prints by Kawanabe Kyosai
from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakuzu)
Woodblock print
Old Picture of the Rashômon Gate (Rashômon no ko zu), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho tsuzuki
Woodblock print
Tsukishimadera Temple in Hyôgo (Hyôgo Tsukishimadera), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi
Woodblock print
from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakuzu)
Woodblock print
More Rain Prints
Rain Shower at Shо̄no, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tо̄kaidо̄ (Tо̄kaidо̄ gojusan tsugi)
1962
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Shōno: Driving Rain (Shōno hakuu), from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi no uchi), also known as the First Tōkaidō or Great Tōkaidō
c. 1833-36
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Omiya in Rain (Ame no Omiya)
Ame no Omiya
1930
Color woodblock print; oban
Evening Shower at Teradomari (Teradomari no yau), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Second Series (Tabi miyage dai nishu)"
Teradomari no yau
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Frequently Asked Questions
Crown in Rain on Plum Branch was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).
Crown in Rain on Plum Branch depicts rain.