'Still Life of Orchids' by Ikeda Zuigetsu, 1946, Japanese Florilegium, Color Woodcut, Michigan, Kyoto

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Printed signature, upper right, '池田瑞月' for Ikeda Zuigetsu (Japanese, 1877-1944).
Framed dimensions: 14.75 x 20 inches.

Born in Kanazawa, Zuigetsu … Read more Printed signature, upper right, '池田瑞月' for Ikeda Zuigetsu (Japanese, 1877-1944).
Framed dimensions: 14.75 x 20 inches.

Born in Kanazawa, Zuigetsu Ikeda was a naturalist and horticultural artist who traveled throughout prewar Japan cataloging the diverse flora of his homeland. His masterpiece was the series of woodcuts titled 'Ranka-fu' or 'A Record of an Orchid Collection' from which the present piece is drawn.

Commissioned by orchid cultivator and enthusiast Kaga Shôtarô during the 1930s, Zuigetsu worked on creating the designs from which the woodblocks would be created. Kaga was concerned about the survival of his orchid collection in Kyoto at his Villa Oyamazaki, which at its peak had housed 10,000 plants, and he selected woodblock printing as the appropriate method to capture the memory of his orchids. Zuigetsu passed away before the completion of the project, and due to Kaga’s changed fortunes after World War II, only 83 works were eventually published in 1946. Three hundred copies were printed, from which this woodblock dates. Many of these were sold by subscription to various scientific institutions, botanical gardens and universities all over the world. Ikeda Zuigetsu's works can be found in public and private collections, including the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the Shirley Sherwood Collection.

The wood blocks for the Ranka-fu series were carved by Oiwa Gasendo and the printing was executed by Okura Hanbei, both of whom had been carefully chosen by the artist for the project. The final series comprised 83 color woodblock prints with an additional 24 sketches reproduced in black and white. The orchids of Ranka-fu are widely recognized as one of the world's enduring masterpieces of botanical art. See less