Watercolour

Although drawn some time after such an event could have possibly been seen, the eccentric late 19th-century artist Kawanabe Kyosai has superbly depicted the anomalous state of the samurai in the late Edo period (1600-1868). The contrast between the character of the old samurai viewing the spring cherry-blossom in full armour, accompanied by his dog and enjoying a good meal provided by a plain serving girl in provincial clothes, and the samurai in kamishimo(sleeveless jacket and trousers) accompanied by a younger samurai attendant, is clearly depicted.

The drawing is entitled Pictorial Representations of Popular Sayings. The caption beside the tree reads ‘Cherry blossom is the best flower’; beside the younger samurai ‘The warrior is the best form of man’ and beside the elderly samurai ‘Dango [dumplings] rather than cherry blossom’.