Even the oldest plum puts out green shoots in spring, and thus the tree is a symbol of fortitude and rejuvenation. These sliding doors separated two rooms of an abbot’s residence at Tenshō’in, a subtemple of Myōshinji, a famous Zen temple in Kyoto. The exaggerated bend of the tree and the crispness of the geometric rocks are idiosyncrasies associated with signed works by Kano Sansetsu, pupil and son-in-law of the painter Kano Sanraku (1559 – 1635). Sanraku enjoyed the generous patronage of Myōshinji, and Sansetsu must have received the monks’ continued support.
