Artwork
与謝蕪村筆秋草花竹籃図 |Autumn Flowers in a Bamboo Basket
与謝蕪村筆秋草花竹籃図 |Autumn Flowers in a Bamboo Basket is an ink painting by the Nihonga artist Yosa Buson. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a still-life arrangement of autumn flowers gathered in a bamboo basket, rendered in ink and delicate color on a hanging scroll.
The painting presents a still-life arrangement of autumn flowers gathered in a bamboo basket, rendered in ink and delicate color on a hanging scroll.
The depicted flora, chrysanthemums, bush clover, and grasses, belong to the seasonal lexicon of autumn in East Asian art, where such plants carry associations with endurance and quiet reflection. The choice of a humble bamboo basket underscores rustic simplicity, aligning with Buson's poetic sensibility and the literati tradition of finding profundity in ordinary subjects.
Technique & Style
Created in 1764, Autumn Flowers in a Bamboo Basket is executed as a hanging scroll using ink and color applied to paper. The work functions as a still-life painting that focuses on floral subjects, adhering to the Japanese tradition of the Edo period. As a hanging scroll, the support is designed for vertical display, allowing the composition of the basket and flowers to be viewed in a traditional format. The medium combines monochrome ink with applied colors to render the botanical details within the bamboo container.
History & Provenance
Created in 1764 by the Japanese artist Yosa Buson, this hanging scroll depicts autumn flowers arranged in a bamboo basket. The work was executed in Japan using ink and color on paper. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No specific accession number, acquisition date, or prior provenance details are documented in the available sources.
Legacy
Yosa Buson's 1764 hanging scroll Autumn Flowers in a Bamboo Basket has been recognized as a representative example of Edo-period literati painting, valued for its delicate integration of poetic sensibility with botanical detail. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cited in scholarship on Japanese monochrome and color traditions.
Overview
Created around 1764, this hanging scroll by Yosa Buson presents a quiet still‑life scene. Rendered in ink and subtle colour on paper, the composition centers on a tall bamboo basket brimming with assorted wildflowers and grasses, their forms spilling outward in a gentle cascade.
Artist & collection
