Momoyogusa (Flowers of a Hundred Worlds)

This printed book is one of the touchstone achievements of modern Japanese woodblock printing. It showcases modern compositions whose visual appeal can stand independently of their traditional symbolic content, and was produced to an extraordinarily high standard of technical artistry. Sekka began his artistic training in Kyoto under a Shijō master, specializing in a gauzy, semi-naturalistic mode of painting. But a shock encounter with Japanese-inspired art nouveau in Europe galvanized him to develop a representatively “Japanese” aesthetic for the modern era, using the motifs and design principles associated with School of Kōrin painting. Sekka’s heavy involvement in the institutionalization of design education, art criticism, and publishing in Kyoto ensured that his influence continues to be felt to this day, particularly in the production of lacquerware.