Japanese Archival Note Card, Brassia Gieoudiana by Ikeda Zuigetsu: Ranka-Fu Orchid Series

A small plant with glossy leaves trails a long arc of yellow spidery blooms.

This archival note card of the orchid Brassia Gieoudiana from the Ranka-Fu orchid series is from Japan. Ikeda Zuigetsu lived from 1877 to 1944, and the Ranka-Fu series is an orchid series from Japan, where orchid cultivation had a long history before the twentieth century. Two broad green leaves rise from a small base, with a slender stalk holding thin yellow blossoms with spidery petals trailing to the right. The pale cream ground is lightly washed at the base. Nothing else crowds it. It is 5 inches long and 7 high.

Elegant restraint, with lots of space to breathe.