Confederate Rose

Matsumura Keibun was one of the leading artists of the Shijø school, which was established by Matsumura Goshun (1752-1811), his older brother and mentor. Keibun's paintings, most of which depict birds and flowers, are marked by soft brushwork and a close attention to naturalistic detail, characteristics common among the Shijø school artists. In his native city of Kyoto, Keibun designed a number of surimono prints for local poetry societies, including this one. The poets submitted fifteen haiku poems on the topic of autumn and Keibun depicted a spray of confederate rose, which blooms in early autumn. A large flower and a small bud are printed in gradated pink tones. Delicately embossed lines, representing the veins of the petals, are the work of a highly skilled carver and printer.