Amusements under the Blossoms
花下遊楽図屏風
Kano Naganobu · 17th century (Edo period) · Folding screen
Detail of the work. Image: Source: ColBase (Work page (opens in a new tab)) (reduced in size on this site) Public Data License 2.0 of the Government of Japan (compatible with CC BY 4.0) (opens in a new tab) View larger
The National Treasure "Amusements under the Blossoms" by Kano Naganobu is a pair of color-on-paper folding screens from the 17th century (Edo period) showing people enjoying a banquet and dancing under flowers in full bloom. It is held by the Tokyo National Museum.
- Artist
- Kano Naganobu
- Date
- 17th century (Edo period)
- Medium / format
- Folding screen
About this work
This pair of folding screens depicts a flower-viewing party about 400 years ago, from the end of the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the beginning of the Edo period. It is color on paper, and each screen measures 148.6 x 355.8 cm. It is designated a National Treasure. A spring banquet unfolds within the space enclosed by large curtains.
On the right screen, women sit in a circle under double-flowered cherry trees in full bloom and lay out a feast. On the left screen, people seated on the veranda of an octagonal hall watch dancing beneath the white flowers of a Chinese crabapple. The group at the center is women in the latest fashions of the day, and the group on the right is women dressed as men with swords at their waists, which appears to imitate the then-fashionable Okuni kabuki.
Spectators on the veranda show the soles of their feet as they keep time to the rhythm, and under the veranda a palanquin bearer dozes. The central part of the right screen was lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and the original composition can be confirmed through black-and-white photographs. From a seal on the painting, the artist is identified as Naganobu (1577-1654), the youngest brother of Kano Eitoku.
Where can I see it?
Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.
Museums that hold this work
- Tokyo National MuseumMuseum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)
Taito City, Tokyo Accession no. A-11530
Plan your visit to Tokyo National Museum
Find places to stay, activities and rental cars for a visit to Tokyo National Museum, which holds "Amusements under the Blossoms".
Frequently asked questions
- Who painted Amusements under the Blossoms, and when?
- Amusements under the Blossoms is by Kano Naganobu, made in 17th century (Edo period). Medium: Folding screen.
- Where can I see Amusements under the Blossoms?
- It is held by Tokyo National Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.
Sources and references
- ColBase (Tokyo National Museum) (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
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