Japan Rain, Snow & Art14

1. JAPAN Rain, Snow & Art

2. Seasons are a main theme in the Japanese culture. Flowers are like mirrors to the seasons, reflecting the passage of time. Fittingly, flower viewing is a very popular activity in Japan as most prominently seen in the annual festivities surrounding the cherry blossoms, but not limited to them

4. From the end of May through early July, Japan experiences weeks and weeks of rain as if a monsoon season has arrived. Unlike the beating rainfall of monsoon, however, the rain this season is softer and neverending. A bed of vivid purple flowers in such gloomy and silent background is truly breathtaking. These flowers known by the name of iris in English is called ayame in Japanese. Ayame and kakitsubata, another flower which belongs to the same iridaceae and has a hardly different appearance that there is even a saying (or a song), "in the end, either ayame or kakitsubata." It describes well the grace of both these flowers, and thus means to be divided between two or more incomparable things or people

5. Because of its outstanding beauty, the purple of the flowers and glossy green of their leaves irises are symbolic of natural beauty of Japanese early summer but people connect the image of irises to rain rather the clear sky in Japan: the iris bloom announced the advent of the rainy season Iris laevigata 'Rose Queen' kakitsubata

6. From the end of May through early July, Japan experiences Hanakotoba is the Japanese form of the language of flowers. In this practice, plants were given codes and passwords. These are meant to convey emotion and communicate directly to the recipient or viewer without needing the use of words. Iris meanings: Good News/Glad tidings/loyalty

7. Bungyo Nakatani (1947-) Bakufu Ohno (1888-1976)

8. Jo (Hashimoto Yuzuru) active early 1900s) Swallow Flying Over an Iris Black Gold Iris Design Porcelain Tea Set Made in Japan

9. Fan Box for Incense with Design of Peonies, Iris, Morning Glories, and Wisteria Kajikawa School XIX Metropolitan Museum of Art

10. Kan'en Iwasaki Case (Inrō) with Design of Birds in Flight above Flowering Iris (obverse) XVIII- XIX Metropolitan Museum of Art

11. Metropolitan Museum of Art Chōbunsai Eishi (Japanese, 1756–1829) Young Lady and Iris Garden

12. Cup with Butterflies and Iris Design and Basketry Exterior cca1840. Metropolitan Museum of Art

13. Gyokuei Yodo (active 1800s) Hanko Kajita (1870-1917)

14. Hara Yōyūsai (Japanese, 1772–1845) Inrō with Sparrows in Snow-covered Nandina Metropolitan Museum of Art

15. Kyoto Hosomi Museum - Art Cube Shop carries original museum goods Gyosui Suzuki (b. 1898) Iris and Frog

16. Kisho Tsukuda (Japan, 1955) Heihachiro Fukuda (1892-1974) Irises

17. Heihachiro Fukuda (1892-1974) Kyoto Museum of Modern Art, 1934

18. Yamada Jōkasai (1681–1704) Incense Box (Kogo) with Design of Iris and Bridge (Yatsuhashi) Metropolitan Museum of Art Hiroshi Yoshida (1876 – 1950) Iris Garden in Horikiri, 1928

19. Antique Japanese Cloisonne Champleve Enamel Irises Vase Meiji Period

20. Hitoshi Kobayashi

21. Hogetsu Jinbo (1948-) Furoshiki are a type of Japanese wrapping cloth traditionally used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods

22. The iris has captivated the hearts of the Japanese since ancient times. Kakitsubata, a native species of iris, became especially popular from a story in the tenth century, “Tales of Ise.” An aristocratic poet, weary of the fashionable life in Kyoto, set out on a long journey. Arriving at Yatsuhashi (meaning “eight bridges”), he saw irises in full bloom in a marsh crisscrossed with the eight bridges that gave the area its name Japanese wrapping cloth Furoshiki

23. Korin Furuya (1875-1910) The sight filled him with such longing for his wife in far away Kyoto that he wrote a verse for her, beginning each line with a syllable from the flower’s name, ka-ki-tsu-ba-ta Maruyama Oshin (1790-1838) Iris © British Museum

24. Ever since, kakitsubata and zigzag wooden bridges have been linked as a motif in art, literature, and gardening Korin Furuya (1875-1910)

27. Kano Tsunenobu (Japanese, 1636–1713) Mandarin Ducks and Iris Metropolitan Museum of Art

28. Komatsu Kaei (1898-1945) Water Landscape with Iris and Ducks on Silk Vintage Japanese Ginger Jar with Irises

29. Hōchū Nakamura Blue Iris Early 19th century Isao Akita (1945-) ?

30. Jippo Araki (1872-1944) Ito Sozan (1884-)- Iris Japanese ceramic fluted vase

31. Suzuki Kiitsu (1796–1858) Irises and Moth

32. Japan Still Life Iris Two Fold Tea Screen hand painted

33. Iris kimono Japanese Tenugui Towel Cotton Fabric

34. Katō Shinmei (Japan, 1910-1996) Flowering Iris, 1954 Vintage Otagiri Japan Black and Gold Iris Coffee Cup

35. Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) Grasshopper and Iris Metropolitan Museum of Art

36. Kaburaki Kiyokata The Cool of the Morning (1925) Kaburaki Kiyokata Memorial Art Museum

37. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Irises and bridge 1909

38. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Irises, two-fold screen

39. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Pair of two-fold screens

40. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Pair of two-fold screens fragments

41. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Pair of two-fold screens Irises Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art

42. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Pair of folding screens with irises (left vessel)

43. Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) Pair of folding screens with irises (right vessel)

45. Text & pictures: Internet All  copyrights  belong to their  respective owners Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu https://www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda https://ma-planete.com/michaelasanda 2017 Sound: Jean-Pierre Rampal & Lily Laskine - Japanese melodies for flute and harp - Sakura, sakura