This is a work by Takashi Tsuzuki, who studied at the Art Students League and specialized in still life paintings. Two colored flowers in a vase are arranged in a Japanese ikebana-like composition that emphasizes line, space, and depth. Takashi Tsuzuki commented on his creation, “As a Western-style painter when I think of individuality, I am very conscious of my Japanese identity. Eastern philosophies influence my mind and blood, and I am not completely free from religious views of life and literary inspiration, as if I were a blank slate. I want to express the characteristics of my individuality as a Japanese in the richest possible way. (Takashi Tsuzuki, “The Individuality of Art,” New York Shimpo, January 1, 1927). Perhaps this work is a conscious expression of Japanese culture in a Western painting.