BENRIDO COLLOTYPE Postcard, "Plum Blossoms in a White Vase" BC-042, 10pc

Plum Blossoms in a White Vase 

Along with historical paintings and figure paintings, still life works that combined flowers and classic art were an important subject for Yasuda Yukihiko. Yasuda favored plum blossoms above all other flowers, and a number of splendid works remain from the sketches he made of the many rare varieties of plum he cultivated in the garden of his studio. A white flower vase, blooming red and white plum blossoms, and their black stems spreading in all directions are positioned against a vermillion background that uses the “tarashikomi” technique of inserting colored pigment into still-wet ink. The color contrast of white, red, and black is in perfect balance, and the clear lines that compose this work display Yukihiko’s particular talents well. Yukihiko appreciated classic Chinese and Korean ceramics, and the white vase was one of the artist’s own possessions included in this painting for the sake of the composition. The “Ding” in the title is the name of a kiln in Jingdezhen that is typical of Chinese Song dynasty white porcelain.