Old Man Who Made Blossoms Bloom

Sonsai Kōitsu

1825–35

Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This woodblock print depicts Hanasakajijii, a hero from a Japanese folktale, whose dog's ashes cause a dead tree to miraculously blossom. The old man here is Hanasakajijii, the hero of a Japanese folktale. After a spiteful neighbor killed his beloved pet dog, Hanasakajijii spread the dog’s ashes beneath a dead tree, which then miraculously blossomed. Kōitsu depicted a vigorously budding plum tree, the harbinger of spring. Four poems, by four poets, inscribed on the print describe the coming of spring. Gallery Not on View Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr.