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Japanese Six-Panel Screen: Chrysanthemums (Kiku) on Gold Leaf

Celebrating the enduring beauty of kiku (chrysanthemums), this Edo period (1603–1868) screen presents cascading blossoms rendered in luminous gofun (powdered shell pigment) and mineral pigments against a richly gilded ground. Flowing hills, drifting gold clouds, and the monumental flowering plants create a composition that is both decorative and quietly emotive, exemplifying the refined elegance of early Japanese screen painting. In Japanese culture, chrysanthemums have long symbolized longevity, renewal, and the arrival of autumn, making them one of the country’s most revered seasonal motifs. Anonymous in authorship yet masterfully executed, the screen is finished with a silk brocade border, lacquered wood trim, and bronze mounts, dating to circa 1780.