Carnations and Spoon on a Tray
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
Typical Price
$500–$4,000. Common subjects: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: As an early sosaku-hanga pioneer, Kawakami's prints have historical significance. His distinctive graphic style is collected.
Description
"Carnations and Spoon on a Tray" is an unusually specific still-life subject for Kawakami — the Western flower (carnations were imported to Japan and adopted into modern floral culture) arranged on a tray with a Western-style spoon, the combination suggesting the hybrid domestic culture of modern Japan. The Western objects — flowers, spoon, tray — have been naturalized through daily use but retain their foreign origin, just as the Western customs in Kawakami's historical prints retain their foreignness while being absorbed into Japanese culture. The still-life format gives him space to observe these objects closely.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carnations and Spoon on a Tray was created by Sumio Kawakami (川上澄生).
Carnations and Spoon on a Tray depicts birds & flowers, still life, and food & drink.