Peony — 牡丹

Peony (Botan) is a woodblock print featuring the flower known in Japan as the king of flowers, valued for its large, lavish blooms and association with wealth, honor, and feminine beauty. Maeda Toshiro renders the peony through the kachoga (flower-and-bird) tradition, giving the blossom the full attention of the composition. The woodblock medium is well suited to the peony's layered petals, each color pass building depth into the flower's complex structure. Peonies bloom briefly in late spring, their heavy heads nodding on thick stems, and the print preserves this fleeting abundance in ink and pigment on paper.