Old Plum by Kano Sansetsu, completed in 1646, consists of four sliding-door panels (fusuma) painted with ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper. The composition features a large, ancient plum tree with gnarled, twisting branches stretching across all four panels. The trunk and branches are rendered in dark, bold brushstrokes, while delicate plum blossoms in white and pale pink are scattered along the limbs.

The background is covered in gold leaf, creating a luminous surface that contrasts with the dark tree and highlights the blossoms. Additional elements include rocks and a flowering shrub with red blossoms at the lower left, as well as the metal door pulls set into the panels. This work is an example of the large-scale decorative painting typical of Japanese interiors in the early Edo period, particularly in elite residences and temples. Fusuma paintings such as this were designed to harmonize with architectural spaces and create a sense of continuity between art and environment.

The use of gold leaf backgrounds was a common feature in the Kano school, to which Kano Sansetsu belonged, and served both aesthetic and practical purposes by enhancing the light within rooms. Old Plum is dated to 1646 and is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.