Artwork
Plum Branch and Teapot
Plum Branch and Teapot is an unspecified painting by the Nihonga artist Shibata Zeshin. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1896, this small-scale painting by Shibata Zeshin portrays a solitary teapot accompanied by a plum branch, rendered on a fan‑shaped support. The work is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of late‑nineteenth‑century Japanese painting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes a utilitarian teapot, rendered in muted brown tones, with a delicate plum branch bearing tiny white blossoms. The plum, a seasonal symbol in Japanese culture, often conveys resilience and renewal, while the teapot suggests domestic ritual, together evoking a quiet moment of contemplation.
Technique & Style
Zeshin employs fine brushwork to delineate the teapot’s surface, using layered shades of brown to suggest volume and the sheen of lacquer. The plum branch is painted with darker strokes that contrast against an off‑white fan background marked by subtle light‑brown stripes, creating depth through tonal variation.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in the early twentieth century, following acquisition from a private dealer of Japanese art. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s own studio, where it was likely produced as a decorative fan intended for a collector of refined taste.
Artist & collection
