Iris — 菖蒲

"Iris" (菖蒲, shobu/ayame, 1897) depicts the Japanese iris in bloom — the elegant flower associated with the Boys' Festival, with the banks of rivers and ponds, and with the specific month of May or June in the traditional seasonal calendar. Shuntei renders the iris with botanical precision: the distinctive form of the petals, the sword-like leaves, the characteristic relationship of flower to stem. Whether the iris appears alongside figures or as a pure floral subject, its treatment reflects his awareness of the flower's position in both the kacho-ga tradition and the broader context of seasonal celebration.