Haerdaceous Peony no2 Poster

An exhibition print of one of Ogawa Kazumasa's hand-coloured photographs of peonies, made in Yokohama in 1896. Three blooms lean out of a deep oxblood ground, their petals tinted in pale pink and cream by hand after printing, with the stamens picked out in yellow. The leaves are washed in two greens, and the darkness behind them is flat enough to make the flowers appear lit. The photographer's name is set in large type below the plate, with the title and date in small print beneath. It is botany, photography and typography in one sheet.

The oxblood ground gives this more weight than most botanical prints, so it holds a living room wall as well as a bedroom one. It works with dark wood, brass and deep green textiles, and the pale pink petals keep it from going heavy. A black frame matches the type; oak softens the whole sheet. The wide cream margin is part of the design, so skip the mat board and hang it where the typography can be read.