Seiyō Kusabana Zufu

In 1917 Kōnan published a woodblock-printed picture album entitled Seiyō Kusabana Zufu (i.e., Picture Album of Western Flowering Plants). It included a total of 125 pictures of flowers in five volumes, of which the twenty–five in volume three are shown in this gallery. Click on a picture to enlarge it. Kōnan’s choice of flowers is surprising because few of the species were native to Japan. In the early 1900s Japan was undergoing westernization which likely included the importation of western plants destined for Japanese home gardens. Kōnan’s depiction of these western plants would also have been of interest to Japanese gardeners. To see all 125 pictures click here.

Photo album created with Web Album Generator