“Japanese Interior with Winter Flowers” from The Flowers of Japan and the Art of Floral Arrangement by Josiah Conder (1891, Kelly and Walsh Limited, Yokohama). This is one of four color illustrations in the book by Kawanabe Kyōsui (1868-1935), a talented artist and the daughter of the master Kawanabe Kyōsai; she became so proficient at his style that her works are indistinguishable from his.
Josiah Conder (1852-1920) was a British architect who traveled to Japan in 1877 at the invitation of the Japanese government. In addition to transforming Japanese architecture, he became deeply interested in Japanese art and, with the publication of The Flowers of Japan and the Art of Floral Arrangement, became the “sole foreign apostle and expounder” on the subject, known as ikebana.
The book noted the importance of only using flowers that were in season, hence this illustration specifically focusing on winter flowers. The carefully composed arrangement, in a thoughtfully selected container, sits beside a hanging scroll in a shallow alcove known as a tokonoma, designed to showcase floral arrangements and complimentary artwork.
To learn more about The Flowers of Japan, click here to read our March 2026 Object of the Month.