Comment: “Chigusa no Hana” (A Thousand Varieties of Flowers) is a woodblock-printed picture book by Kōno Bairei (1844–1895), a leading painter of the Kyoto art school during the Meiji period. The title, Chigusa, refers to the “many varieties” of flowers, and the work lives up to its name by showcasing a diverse and elegant selection of botanical illustrations.
Rendered in refined multi-colored woodblock printing (nishiki-e), Bairei’s illustrations blend traditional Japanese aesthetics with decorative composition and subtle influences from Western naturalist styles. The volume is not only admired for its artistic value, but also used as a design reference in textile, craft, and applied arts.
This was published in 1891 (Meiji 24), which is also the year Unsōdō began its publishing business.
