The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 8, 2026

A hanging scroll depicts a cherry branch with white blossoms arching across the top. Below, two light-skinned figures sit facing each other. On the left, a woman in a floral kimono plays a long-necked instrument. To the right, a man with a shaved head and green robe plays a similar instrument. Vertical calligraphy and a red seal appear near the lower left, beside a gnarled tree trunk that curves up the side.

Performing Beneath the Flowers

late 1600s–early 1700s

Tamura Suio

(Japanese, active late 1600s–early 1700s)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Painting: 45.7 x 26.3 cm (18 x 10 3/8 in.); Mounted: 121.2 x 38.2 cm (47 11/16 x 15 1/16 in.)
The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Ellen and Bruce Mavec 2026.44
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Chrysanthemums are sometimes associated with a character from Chinese lore called the "Chrysanthemum Boy."

Description

The activity of viewing cherry blossoms is known in Japan as o-hanami, literally “viewing flowers.” Beyond reveling in the spring scene, people also enjoy games and entertainment. In this painting, a beautiful young man strumming a shamisen is brought together with an older blind monk playing what is likely a biwa under the boughs of a cherry in full bloom.
  • A. Kelvin Smith [1899–1984] and Eleanor [Armstrong] Smith [1899–1998], Cleveland, OH, by descent to their daughter Cara Smith Stirn
    Cara Smith Stirn [1927–2017], Cleveland, OH, by descent to her daughter Ellen Stirn Mavec
    Ellen Stirn Mavec [b. 1959]
  • {{cite web|title=Performing Beneath the Flowers|url=false|author=Tamura Suio|year=late 1600s–early 1700s|access-date=08 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.44