Published 1892, Lord Kusunoki Bidding Farewell to his Son (#32) belongs to Flowers of Japan (Nihon Hana Zukushi). Flowers of Japan treats plants as carriers of season, literary association, and cultural memory rather than as neutral botanical specimens. Gekkō combines recognizable growth and habitat with the symbolic language of flowers established in poetry, painting, and decorative art.
Kusunoki Masashige and his son Masatsura were celebrated for loyalty to the Southern Court in the fourteenth century. Meiji culture elevated their sacrifices as models of devotion to the emperor. The catalog identifies men and samurai among the principal motifs. Gekkō uses their relationship to clarify action, season, setting, and narrative emphasis rather than treating them as interchangeable decoration.
Gekkō’s print style is noted for painterly contours, soft color transitions, and reserved paper, effects achieved through the collaborative disciplines of block carving and hand printing.
Additional information
| Editions | First Edition, Second Edition, Third Edition |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Akiyama Buemon, Matsuki Heikichi, Sasaki Toyokichi |
| Size | Oban |
| Subjects | men, samurai |
| Year Published | 1892 |
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