Marigold (Kinsenka) and Rashomon Flowers, from the series "Collection of Plants for the Kasumi Poetry Circle (Kasumi-ren somoku awase)"
by Kubo Shunman
- Date:
- 1810s
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
by Kubo Shunman
Marigold (Kinsenka) and Rashomon Flowers belongs to Kubo Shunman's series Collection of Plants for the Kasumi Poetry Circle (Kasumi-ren somoku awase), a sequence of [surimono](/glossary/surimono) produced in collaboration with one of the active kyoka groups Shunman served as house designer. Each sheet in the series pairs carefully observed botanical motifs with comic verse, and the pictures function as kyoka-e in the fullest sense: the plant becomes a hinge for the poem's wordplay, often turning on the flower's name, season, or literary associations. The marigold, called kinsenka or "gold coin flower," carried obvious associations with wealth and good fortune, while Rashomon hibiscus took its name from the famous Kyoto gate and the Noh play built around it, giving the design a sly literary resonance that the Kasumi circle's poets would have read instantly. Shunman's drawing is uncluttered, with stems and leaves arranged across the sheet to leave generous room for the inscribed verse. Issued around 1810 and now held by the Art Institute of Chicago, this print exemplifies the Edo [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e) surimono tradition at its most refined: a small luxury object made for poetry clubs rather than the open market, printed with extra care from blocks cut to register fine detail. For modern viewers approaching Kubo Shunman, the sheet is an excellent example of how botanical subjects in his hands became vehicles for literary culture, social belonging, and seasonal awareness all at once.
Meiji Period (1868-1912)
Color woodblock print
1809
Color woodblock print; surimono
19th century
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
1797
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Marigold (Kinsenka) and Rashomon Flowers, from the series "Collection of Plants for the Kasumi Poetry Circle (Kasumi-ren somoku awase)" was created by Kubo Shunman (窪俊満) in 1810s.
Marigold (Kinsenka) and Rashomon Flowers, from the series "Collection of Plants for the Kasumi Poetry Circle (Kasumi-ren somoku awase)" depicts birds & flowers.
