Cherry Blossoms

A jewel-like collection of the most exquisite cherry blossoms in Japanese art celebrates the enduring power of spring. This joyous collection of cherry blossoms, drawn from one of the world’s finest collections of Japanese art, celebrates the universal pleasure of spring. Richly illustrated with examples from grand screens, woodblock prints, and ink on silk, Cherry Blossoms offers exquisitely rendered buds and blooms for all who cherish them.Since the eighteenth-century, elaborate parties of royal maidens and farmers alike have gathered to view the cherry trees, an enduring symbol of the cycle of life in Japan. The flowers feature prominently in Japanese art—magnificent gilded screens show serene blossoms floating majestically among tall evergreens, and in one charming vignette a group of soldiers stop in their tracks as they ascend a mountain path to a temple, overwhelmed by the surrounding pink petals. Japanese cherry trees have inspired artists and poets and were gifted to Washington, D.C., as a symbol of friendship between nations. Today, we celebrate cherry blossom festivals across the United States and worldwide and see our cities framed by the blossoming branches that herald spring. The reproductions featured in this book are accompanied by text from senior curator of Japanese art James T. Ulak, exploring this flowering tree’s timeless appeal and symbolism.

James T. Ulak is senior curator of Japanese art, Howard S. Kaplan is museum writer, and Julian Raby is Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.