June — 其六 菖蒲
- Date:
- 1898
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
"June" (其六 菖蒲 — "the sixth, iris/calamus") from 1898 depicts the June association with iris (ayame) and calamus (shobu) plants, whose distinctive sword-like leaves and purple flowers were central to the Boys' Festival (Tango no Sekku) celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month. The iris was believed to ward off evil spirits, and its cultivation and display in June connected the natural world's specific seasonal offerings with the household rituals of protective celebration. Shuntei renders the iris in its relationship with the female figures who tend or display it.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
June — 其六 菖蒲 was created by Miyagawa Shuntei (宮川春汀) in 1898.
June — 其六 菖蒲 depicts birds & flowers, figures, and bijin-ga.
