Kuchi-e Woodblock Print, A Floral Presentation with Dog (detail)

When will spring finally arrive? We seem to be in the netherworld between seasons. Spring seems like it is just around the corner, but too often the corner does not get any closer. One day there is a chill in the air. The wind is blowing and even a short walk to grab lunch reddens the cheeks and makes you grab your lapels in a mock attempt to fight the elements. The next day it is seventy and sunny; and then the next it rains, the chill is back in the air, and the sky turns a dismal gray. If there is really a goddess of renewal – who the Japanese call Kono-Hana-Sakuya-Hime, translated as “Lady who makes the trees bloom” – when will she finally allow us to be outside and watch the flowers grow?

The Japanese word Kuchi-e literally means mouth-picture, translating into English as frontispiece

This week’s New Arrival features a Kuchi-e (Koo-chee-e) woodblock print from Japan. This translates to 'mouth picture' or 'frontispiece.' Like all Kuchi-e, it was created as the introductory image of a romantic novel written when the 19th turned into the 20th century. We are not sure of the title or plot related to this particular piece, but the image suggests there is renewal in the air. The central female character is cutting freshly bloomed roses and handing them to her helper while the family dog looks on quizzically, happy to be there and wondering how to participate. The identity of these people is less important than the actions taking place. Their clothing suggests a chill may still be in the air.  Like us, they’re caught in the netherworld between seasons. If so, it’s possible she is preparing an offering to the Goddess so spring may arrive – finally, definitively, and once and for all!

(Call to inquire)