Artwork Details
50-3/4 x 16-1/4 in. (image)
PeriodSigned: Painted on an autumn day in the year kanoe-ne (cyclical date "elder brother metal-rat") in the Kokokan [studio], Katei, 71 years Upper square intaglio seal under signature: [shinken no in] Lower square relief seal: [randen] Lower right corner, large square intaglio seal
Accession NumberGift of the Alliance of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
CopyrightAsian Art (Japanese and Korean)
Color PalettePine, Bamboo, and Plum -- shochikubai (shoh-cheekoo-bye), in Japanese -- is one of the favorite themes of East Asian art. Also called the "three friends of winter," they symbolize strength and perseverance in the face of hardship: the stalwart evergreen pine, the upright bamboo that bends but never breaks, and the plum that blossoms during the coldest winter months, encouraging us with its colorful petals and spicy fragrance and promising that spring is right around the corner. Because of these positive, honest and pure attributes, the "three friends" also symbolize felicity and good fortune. This triptych would be especially suitable for hanging at the New Year.
Taki Katei studied in Nagasaki and is often called a "nanga" painter. However, his works also display the skillful coloring and hints of Western influence of modern Japanese painting, or "Nihonga." His paintings were displayed at the 1873 Vienna World Exposition.
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.