Who painted Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo?

Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo was painted by Ikeda Terukata in 1903.

Where can I see Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo?

Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Can I buy a print of Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo?

Museum-quality prints of Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo

Ikeda Terukata , 1903

Cherry Blossoms, from the series Brocades of Edo is a print by Ikeda Terukata. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 2000.61
Credit line: Gift of Frederick and Tina Zwegat

About this work

A woman in a bright kimono holds a pink parasol. Cherry blossoms fall around her. She stands near a wooden palanquin with shiny metal fittings.

This print comes from 1903, when Japan was changing fast. The artist loved prints of beautiful women. He trained with Mizuno Toshikata, a famous teacher.

Want to see more? Look up Ikeda Terukata (Japanese, 1883–1921).

Overview

It depicts a woman in contemporary fashion pausing beneath blooming cherry trees, her parasol raised as petals drift around her.

Cherry Blossoms is a color woodblock print from the 1903 series Brocades of Edo, created by Ikeda Terukata. It depicts a woman in contemporary fashion pausing beneath blooming cherry trees, her parasol raised as petals drift around her. The scene is framed by the presence of a wooden palanquin adorned with polished metal hardware, suggesting her status and the transitional era in which the image was made.

Subject & Meaning

The woman’s quiet contemplation amid falling blossoms evokes the transient beauty central to Japanese aesthetic thought. Her attire and the ornate palanquin reflect urban elegance during the Meiji period, when traditional customs coexisted with modernization. The image does not narrate a story but invites reflection on fleeting moments, aligning with the cultural resonance of sakura as symbols of impermanence.

Technique & Style

Terukata employed fine-line carving and layered color printing to achieve subtle gradations in the kimono and delicate petal textures. The parasol’s pink hue contrasts with the pale blossoms, while the palanquin’s metallic accents are rendered with metallic ink to suggest sheen. His style blends ukiyo-e traditions with the refined realism favored in early 20th-century bijin-ga, emphasizing detail without excessive ornamentation.

History & Provenance

Ikeda Terukata studied under Mizuno Toshikata, a respected printmaker known for bijin-ga, and later exhibited regularly at official art salons including Bunten and Inten. Cherry Blossoms was produced during a period when woodblock prints were gaining recognition as fine art, not merely commercial products. The print was part of a limited series, likely distributed through print dealers in Tokyo, and remains documented in museum collections today.

Context

Created in 1903, the print emerged during Japan’s rapid modernization, when Western influences reshaped urban life while traditional motifs persisted in art. Terukata’s focus on elegant women in contemporary settings mirrored a broader cultural interest in defining a modern Japanese identity. The palanquin, once a common mode of transport, now served as a symbolic relic of the past, subtly anchoring the scene in historical continuity.

Legacy

Terukata’s work, though less widely known than contemporaries like Hiroshige or Utamaro, contributed to the evolution of bijin-ga in the Meiji and Taishō eras. His prints, including Cherry Blossoms, demonstrate how traditional printmaking adapted to new artistic standards and public tastes. Today, his oeuvre is studied for its nuanced portrayal of gender, class, and cultural transition in early modern Japan.