Japanese Poppies Scarf

Description

The rich colors and fine details of Red and White Poppies, a hanging scroll painting by Kitagawa Sōsetsu (Japanese, flourished 1639–50) are beautifully captured in the design of this scarf. Several varieties of poppies spread their bright profusion through early summer fields.

Silk crêpe de chine. Imported. 63'' x 17''.

Art History

The painter Kitagawa Sōsetsu flourished during Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868), a time in which renewed energy was infused into the arts through a campaign initiated in the ancient capital city, Kyoto. Not much biographical or professional information is known about Sōsetsu, other than the fact that he inherited the honorary title hokkyō (given to the master of a school or shop) from his predecessor Tawaraya Sōtatsu (died ca. 1640). Sōsetsu’s painting style perpetuated Sōtatsu’s, and it is most instructive to discuss the work of the follower in terms of that of his master.