Red, green and yellow butterfly plate - Kamisaka Sekka, Chō senshu

This reproduction of a plate from the collection Chō senshu (One Thousand Varieties of Butterflies) presents a composition of eighteen small stylized butterflies. The original 1903 work illustrates a flight of lepidoptera rendered in shades of orangey-red, yellowish-green, and brown on a neutral beige background. The airy arrangement and fineness of the lines emphasize the graphic structure of this Japanese naturalistic plate.

Artist Kamisaka Sekka, a central figure of the Rimpa movement in the early 20th century, delivers here a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese motifs. The use of flat color areas and the simplification of forms testify to a sophisticated decorative intention specific to Meiji era aesthetics. The original collection aimed to catalogue ornamental motifs intended for applied arts and textiles.

This antique illustration fits into a collection of archival documents dedicated to Japanese graphic art and entomology. It can be observed for the precision of its spatial composition or used in decoration for its sleek appearance. This reproduction allows the contemplation of Sekka's work on the repetition and chromatic variation of a single natural subject.