20 cards (5 each of 4 designs)

The roots of Japanese haiku reach back over a thousand years. In this poetic form, as in life, there is a pause, a shift, in which the poet celebrates sensory awareness of the season, perhaps suggested by the scent of peony blossoms or the silence of snow-covered tree limbs. The timeless appeal of this understated poetry may be the human desire to capture one’s impressions of a fleeting moment. Such seasonal allusions emphasize the essence of haiku: nature and its ephemeral beauty.

This boxed notecard assortment features four haiku paired with reproductions of exquisite Japanese woodcuts. Each poem is rendered in Japanese calligraphy, Romaji transliteration, and English translation. Contains five each of the following images:

1. Kotozuka Eiichi (Japanese, 1906–1979) Fine Day in May [Boys’ Day—May 5], published 1950s Yoshida Tōshi (Japanese, 1911–1995) 
2. Sangetsu-an, Hakone Museum, 1954 Ikeda Zuigetsu (Japanese, 1877–1944)
3. Peonies, c. 1930s, Tsuchiya Kōitsu (Japanese, 1870–1949)
4. Miyajima in the Snow, 1937

• 20 blank notecards (5 each of 4 designs) with envelopes in a decorative box
• Printed in full color on recycled paper with soy based inks
• Soft white envelopes

Dimensions

• 7" x 5" (cards)
• 7.375" x 5.375" x 1.5" (box)