Blossoming Plum

Prunus trees have traditionally held great symbolic significance in both China and Japan. Being winter-hardy and long-lived, they have been regarded as symbols of endurance and perseverance. Furthermore, because prunus trees flower so early in the year, they have been seen as symbols of rejuvenation and vitality, while the lightness and delicacy of their blossoms has also made them into symbols of purity and feminine gracefulness. Historically, many painters enjoyed depicting prunus trees because the gnarled, twisting branches and the complex, delicate flowers tested their brush skills, while the irregular arrangements of the shapes and spaces in and around the forms challenged their compositional abilities.

A seal on the painting identifies it as the work of a Buddhist monk-painter named Setsugai. Little is known about him, though his name suggests that he may have been of Chinese or Korean extraction. Buddhist monks often traveled back and forth between China, Korea, and Japan, and their interactions facilitated the spread of cultural beliefs and practices among the three countries. This painting may have been made to hang in a tearoom or a nonreligious building within a Zen temple, probably as a seasonal image celebrating the arrival of spring.