Cycad was painted by Ike Taiga in 1750-01-01.

Where can I see Cycad?

Cycad is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Cycad?

Cycad is associated with Nanga.

Can I buy a print of Cycad?

Museum-quality prints of Cycad are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Cycad

Ike Taiga , 1750

Cycad is an unspecified painting by the Nanga artist Ike Taiga. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

History & Provenance

The painting titled Cycad was created by the Japanese artist Ike no Taiga in 1750. The work, which depicts a plant, originated in Japan and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the available records, and the sources do not document any exhibition history for the piece.

Legacy

Ike no Taiga's 1750 painting Cycad is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Taiga is noted for merging Chinese scholarly (literati) painting traditions with indigenous Japanese themes, a synthesis central to the Nanga (Southern School) movement of which he was a leading figure.

Overview

Created circa 1750, Cycad is an ink painting by Ike no Taiga, a Japanese artist associated with the Edo‑period nanga, or literati, school. Executed on paper with monochrome ink, the work presents a solitary cycad plant in a modest pot, rendered with expressive brushwork that emphasizes the plant’s form and texture. The piece belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on a single cycad, a plant valued for its ancient lineage and austere appearance. Within the nanga tradition, such botanical subjects served as vehicles for scholarly reflection, allowing the artist to convey a cultivated appreciation of nature and to evoke the contemplative spirit of the Chinese literati that inspired the movement.

Technique & Style

Taiga employs swift, spontaneous strokes of black ink to delineate the cycad’s long, serrated fronds, creating a sense of vitality despite the medium’s simplicity. Subtle gradations of tone suggest volume and depth, while the unadorned pot is rendered with minimal detail, underscoring the artist’s preference for economy of line and the expressive potential of brushwork.