Folding screen with a cart carrying Flowers, Japan Edo period

On this 6 folds screen, a cart carrying a basket of peonies and chrysanthemums is seen under hanging wisteria blossoms. The vehicle is equipped with long shafts, which are shown resting on a stool. The peonies, wisteria and chrysanthemums allude to summer and autumn.

In Japan the progression of seasonal changes is an important element in the appreciation of art and beauty, as it is closely associated with the awareness of the passing of time and the evanescence of nature.

In China and Japan, the peony (called ‘the King of Flowers’) is the emblem of wealth and of high social status or rank, and the chrysanthemum is the symbol of long life.

A similar screen, probably by the same hand cand be seen in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Mineral pigments, gofun and gold and paper.
135 x 275cm

https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/noble-ladys-carriage-and-a-flower-cart-from-japan-18th-century-2/