Album of Flowers and the Moon (Kagetsu jō) 花月帖

Art Historical Context

**Album of Flowers and the (Kagetsu jō)**, created in 1836 during Japan's Edo period (1615–8), is a delicate woodblock-printed book in the orihon format—an accordion-style folding that allows it to unfold like a panoramic scroll. Produced by three esteemed artists from the Shijō schoolori Tetsuzan, Maruyama Ōshin and Kawamura Kih—this illustrated album showcases their mastery of ink and color on paper, precise naturalism with poetic elegance. Measuring just 9 1/16 × 6 5/16 inches, its intimate scale invites close viewing, revealing vibrant depictions of flowers under moonlight, often accompanied by figures of men and women in serene, evocative scenes. The Shijō school's realistic style, influenced by Western techniques yet rooted in Japanese tradition, shines through in the artwork's luminous colors and lifelike details, achieved via sophisticated woodblock printing. This medium democratized art during the Edo era, making beauty accessible beyond elite circles. The title *Kagetsu jō* (Flowers and Moon Album) evokes classical themes of transience and harmony in nature, central to Japanese aesthetics, while the collaborative effort highlights the vibrant artistic networks of late Edo Kyoto. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department, this purchase from the Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift (2013) offers a window into 19th-century Japan's cultural flourishing, where albums like this served as treasured keepsakes blending literature, poetry, and visual splendor.

About the Artist

Mori Tetsuzan 森徹山|Maruyama Ōshin 円山応震|Kawamura Kihō 河村琦鳳 (Japanese|Japanese|Japanese) · 1775 |1790 |1778 –1841 |1838 |1852

Japanese, 1775–1841|Japanese, 1790–1838|Japanese, 1778–1852