Minneapolis Institute of Art

Old Man Who Made Blossoms Bloom

Sonsai Kōitsu

Date

1825–35

Medium

Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The old man here is Hanasakajijii, the hero of a Japanese folktale. After a spiteful neighbor killed his beloved pet dog, Hanasakajijii spread the dog’s ashes beneath a dead tree, which then miraculously blossomed. Kōitsu depicted a vigorously budding plum tree, the harbinger of spring. Four poems, by four poets, inscribed on the print describe the coming of spring. Asia

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