Description
Butterflies flutter, attracted by the scent of the elegant women, in this fine work by one of the most unique Japanese painters.
A young woman and her female attendant stand under a drooping cherry blossom tree. The young lady gently stretches out her right hand, perhaps to catch a fluttering petal in her palm. The artist has meticulously portrayed the expression of her eyes, her hairline, her plump lips and the patterns of the kimono. A vermillion undergarment with a tie-dyed wave pattern peaks out from the crested purple furisode garment. The obi belt, emblazoned with dragon and cloud emblems, completes the image of a formal garment worn by a member of the military class. Petals flutter down through the branches, with some falling near the sleeve and hem of her kimono. Three butterflies also make an appearance to the right of the hem, near her feet. It is said that when the Tang dynasty Chinese Princess Chu Lianxiang ventured outside, her scent would attract butterflies. The beauty in this work is probably modelled after Princess Chu. This cleverly conceived work yields new discoveries with each viewing.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
March 16, 2026