Preparatory sketch

Preparatory sketch in black ink and red pigment showing branches of a red plum blossom tree. Katei developed friendships with some of the Chinese men who served at the embassy in Tokyo. In 1879, Shen Meishi bestowed the poetic name of ‘Red Plum Embankment Hall’ on Katei’s newly constructed residence. In East Asian art, plum blossom signifies the end of winter and the coming of spring.