Zinnia's Paper

The title likely refers to a still-life arrangement involving zinnia flowers and paper — possibly a bouquet placed against or wrapped in patterned [washi](/glossary/washi). Hiratsuka's print likely renders the contrast between the angular zinnia petals and the textured paper through carved line alone, in his black-and-white technique. Where traditional [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) treats flowers as isolated botanical motifs, this composition introduces a domestic context, situating the bloom within a constructed studio scene. As a [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) work, the print was cut, inked, and pulled by Hiratsuka himself on washi, with the visible chisel marks integrated into the design rather than smoothed away. Floral subjects appear across Hiratsuka's body of work, though less frequently than his architectural and landscape prints. The English translation of the title may reflect a Japanese phrase whose compression does not transfer directly into a literal rendering.