Date：Sat. September 21 - Wed. October 30, 2024
Place：Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Exhibition Room

1416 woodblock print illustrations of potted plants, featuring around 130 different species, unveiled to the public!
（*Altogether for both halves）

There is a type of ukiyo-e woodblock print known as an omocha-e, literally meaning “toy picture”. There are number of these omacha-e which are known as mono-zukushi-e, meaning “enumeration picture”. These woodblock prints were mostly aimed at children and feature a number of different items under a singular theme together. For example, if the theme of the picture was of animals, then the print would be a kemono-zukushi (beast enumeration) or if it was of birds then it would be called a tori-zukushi (bird enumeration). There were also a large number of mono-zukushi-e that were created as part of the popularity of horticulture in Edo period Japan, such as ueki-zukushi (“potted plant enumeration”) and hachiue-zukushi (“potting enumeration”). Many of these would have the names of plants next the illustrations of that plant, so these single sheet woodblock prints functioned as a fun way for children to learn about plants.

At the time, depictions of plants in encyclopedias would only show plants growing in the wild. The plants in hachiue-zukushi, on the other hand, are shown in potted plants. So, despite the variety of plants which appear in hachiue-zukushi being limited to common species, these pictures show us the horticultural trends at the time and give us a detailed outlook into how potted plants had taken root into people’s lives at the time.

 This exhibition will feature pieces largely from private collectors. Our research of these woodblock prints has revealed that together they depict 1416 different potted plants, with around 130 species of plant overall. We will be taking a look at good luck charm pictures that features plants beginning with the sound “fu” (as “fu” is also the first sound in Japanese words for good luck and wealth). Through the monozukushi-e on display you can learn all about the plants individually, but you can also see and learn by taking a top-down look at the pictures.

These single sheet Edo plant illustrations are suitable for all ages! 

■Exhibition Chapters

1　Plant Passion: Horticulture Boom in Edo 
2　See, Know, and Enjoy: The Great Illustrated Plant Field Guide
3　Finding the “Fu”: Mystery of Uke-e

■Examples of a Hachiue-zukushi 

Illustrated Print – Utagawa Yoshifuji, Kusabana Ueki-zukushi, February 1858 – From Private Collection (Second Half of Exhibition )

Illustrated Print – Utagawa Yoshifuji, Shinhan Ueki-zukushi, August 29, 1879 – From Private Collection (First Half of Exhibition )

■Special Exhibition Slide-Talk 
From this presentation, you can learn all about what to look out for in the exhibition. 

Date and Time: Sat. September 21, Sun. October 6. From 14:00 til 15:00 both days.

Venue: Omiya Bonsai Art Museum Lobby

Capacity: 20 People (Number of Seats)

How to Join: Freely gather at the lobby from 13:30 (the Talk Free to Listen to)
*Slide talk is only in Japanese

■Exhibition Dates

Sat. September 21 – Wed. October 30, 2024
　First Half: Sat. September 21 – Wed. October 9
　Second Half: Sat. October 12 – Wed. October 30
     *All exhibition items will change between the two halves

Museum Closed: Thursdays
Exhibition Room Closed: Fri. October 11

■Venue
Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Exhibition Room

Special Exhibition Flyer (Download: 6MB)