Ink Plum in the Style of Wang Mian

A talented literati artist of the nineteenth century, Takaku Aigai looked to China as a source of inspiration and created this work in the style of the famous Chinese plum painter Wang Mian (died 1359). The poem was composed by Aigai and written in Chinese characters. It reads, “Flowerlike frost sets the shadows afloat; the moonlight is beautiful. Just like the sky after snow at the West Lake, pure air passes by but people are unable to capture it. Jade flute is played on the large tower boat.”