Japanese Archival Note Card, Cattleya No. 300 by Ikeda Zuigetsu: Ranka-Fu Orchid Series

A single bright pink bloom pops against a mustard-gold field.

This archival note card of the orchid Cattleya No. 300 from the Ranka-Fu orchid series is from Japan. Orchid portraits of this kind belong to a long tradition of botanical illustration, in which growers and artists recorded named hybrids and varieties by their flowers. One flower with vivid pink petals and a deeper magenta lip tops a stem with two broad, glossy green leaves. The ground is flat mustard gold, and a thin, ribbed stem runs to the base of the print. It is 5 inches long and 7 high.

A loud pink with perfect timing.