Winter Bamboo & Stone Lantern — Japandi Art Print

About this artwork

A cluster of slender bamboo stalks rises along the left edge, each joint and leaf spray topped with a cushion of fresh snow. At their feet, a small stone lantern wears a thick cap of white, sitting on a gently uneven blanket of snow that runs across the bottom of the frame.

The rest of the composition is sky, and that emptiness is the point. It moves from deep blue at the top through a cool grey-blue haze to cream and a faint terracotta warmth just above the snowline, as if the light is low on a winter afternoon. Green, white and blue dominate, crisp and clean. This winter bamboo print has the hush of a garden after snowfall, when sound seems to disappear.

Stone Lanterns in the Japanese Garden

Stone lanterns, or tōrō, were first used to light the approaches to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and were later adopted in tea gardens to guide guests along the path. One style, the yukimi-dōrō or snow-viewing lantern, has a wide roof that collects snow attractively. Snow-covered gardens are prized in Japan, and at Kenroku-en in Kanazawa gardeners tie ropes called yukitsuri to protect trees from heavy snow.

How to style it

Suits bedrooms, hallways and minimalist or Scandinavian interiors with white walls and pale wood. Pairs with the bamboo grove design to show the same plant in two seasons. Explore the full Japandi Wall Art collection.