Discussion

Tsuwabuki (Japanese Silver Leaf)

If you try to look up Japanese Silver Leaf on the web, you will likely get a host of responses that have nothing to do with this week's painting subject. Instead, search on tsuwabuki, the Japanese name for the plant. The Latin name for the plant you want is Farfugium japonicum.

It is related to chrysanthemums and asters. An evergreen perennial, tsuwabuki grow in clumps about 24 inches wide and tall. Its blossoms are similar to daisies and are 1 to 2 inches across. The flowers grow in loose clusters and bloom in late autumn and early winter. The photo below shows an unusually symmetrical cluster.

Other common names for tsuwabuki are leopard plant, green leopard plant, or tractor seat plant, names inspired by the shape and patterns on its slightly fleshy leaves, some varieties of which can be seen below.

Tsuwabuki is native to Japan and thrives in warm coastal areas close to maritime or streamside environments and open, moist woodlands. It is a popular garden plant in Japan. 

Kachōga (Birds & Flowers Paintings)

Examples of Japanese picture scrolls containing pictures of birds and flowers date from as early as the Heian Period (794 to 1185). A great number of kachōga began to appear in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), and  kachōga became popular with commoners through ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints) beginning in the 17th century. It is a distinct and important art genre. The range of kachōga subjects is broader than its name implies, potentially including fish, insects, or small animals in combination with flowers, grasses, or trees. Major art exhibitions are held around the world exclusively featuring works of Japanese kachōga,

What follows is a minor sampling of kachōga paintings.

Kanō Eitoku (1543 - 1590) was a major figure in the Kanō school of art which catered primarily to the military classes from the late 15th century to 1868.

Tosa Mitsuoki (1617 - 1691) was a prominent member of the Tosa School of art which often competed with the Kanō School, though it catered more to the refined tastes of the aristocracy surrounding the emperor's court.

Nakamora Hōchū (fl. 1790 - 1819) produced literati style landscapes before adopting Rinpa School techniques pioneered by Ogata Korin (1658-1716). The tarashikomi painting technique seen below was a trademark of the Rinpa School. 

Many fine kachōga woodblock prints (ukiyo-e), popular with the lower classes, were produced in the Edo Period. Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849), famous for his 36 Views of Mt. Fuji, produced a large number of them.

Ando Hiroshige (1797 - 1858), another famous ukiyo-e artist, was also a prolific producer of kachōga. Between them, Hokusai and Hiroshige were immensely influential with French Impressionists and other western artists.