Plum Branches

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Artist Donkyō

Culture Japanese

Title Plum Branches

Date Late 16th-early 17th century

Medium Ink on paper

Dimensions Image: 26 1/2 × 11 1/4 in. (67.3 × 28.6 cm)
Mount (hanging scroll height): 62 × 18 3/8 in. (157.5 × 46.7 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Charles Page, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 69.31.2

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About this Work

Plum branches have many iconographic associations across Southeast Asian cultures. The plum was often a metaphor for the Chinese Confucian bureaucrat. Just as the plum tree hidden behind the high walls of a residential compound reveals itself by its sweet scent, so, too, was the superior virtue of the Confucian bureaucrat revealed in his every action. Also, the plum, which blooms in February, is considered stalwart and persevering—both good Confucian virtues—as it braves the winter while sending forth its delicate blossoms. Korea and Japan, profoundly influenced by Chinese culture, also produced painters who excelled at depicting plums.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Plum Branches | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=69.31.2