A rare Taishō 4 (1915) woodblock-printed art book titled 『八百の花 (Yaoya no Hana, “Eight Hundred Flowers”)』, created by Katsuno Ranseki (勝野蘭石), the headmaster of the Hosokawa school of Bonseki (細川流盆石家元) — the refined Japanese art of creating miniature sand and stone landscapes on black lacquer trays.
This elegant album presents a series of monochrome woodblock prints depicting poetic bonseki compositions — miniature depictions of mountains, rivers, and clouds rendered in delicate, circular or fan-shaped vignettes. Each design is accompanied by short Japanese calligraphic inscriptions, providing titles or poetic reflections inspired by nature and Zen aesthetics.
The embossed cover, with flowing wave motifs and floral patterns, reflects the serene philosophy behind bonseki: the appreciation of impermanence and simplicity. The binding is a traditional Japanese fukurotoji, and the paper retains its silky Meiji–Taishō quality, ideal for capturing fine ink gradations.
At the end of the book, the colophon records its first publication in Meiji 43 (1910) and reprint in Taishō 4 (1915), making this a confirmed early 20th-century example of printed bonseki art documentation.
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Title: 八百の花 (Yaoya no Hana)
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Artist / Author: 勝野蘭石 (Katsuno Ranseki)
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School: 細川流盆石家元 (Hosokawa-ryū Bonseki School)
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Date: Taishō 4 (1915)
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First Edition: Meiji 43 (1910)
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Technique: Woodblock print (sumizuri-e)
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Format: Horizontal fukurotoji binding
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Material: Handmade washi with embossed kraft cover
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Theme: Bonseki (盆石), miniature landscape design, Zen-inspired art
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Language: Japanese
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Provenance: Japan, early 20th century
『八百の花』stands as a rare visual manual of traditional Japanese Bonseki, an art form nearly extinct today.
Its combination of calligraphy, poetic inscriptions, and landscape illustration embodies the philosophy of harmony between art, nature, and meditation.
Highly valued among collectors of Japanese art manuals, Zen aesthetics, Meiji–Taishō printing, and decorative design, this work bridges fine art and traditional craftsmanship in early 20th-century Japan.
