Black and White Cherry Blossom Vase

The delicate brushstrokes on this black and white vase is evocative of ancient ink paintings, popular in China and Japan for centuries. Here the cherry blossom trees are painted in full bloom. Each spring the trees suddenly burst into blossom, but the flowers fade as quickly as they appear. This brief appearance has made the cherry blossom a symbolic reminder in Japanese culture of the beauty and fragility of life.