Mountain grape vines decorate the scenery with their vivid colorful fruit. The grape is a rare motif in Japanese embroidery.
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You may have already seen this design because it has topped a mirror near the entrance of the JEC in Atlanta. It was completed by Mr. Shuji Tamura, founder and president of the Japanese Embroidery Center.
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Mountain grape vines decorate the scenery with their vivid colorful fruit. The grape is a rare motif in Japanese embroidery.
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Design is called “Kazusa Kujukuri Seine Net”, which depicts the working fishermen at Kujukuri, the city next to Togane, Japan, where Kurenai-Kai is located.
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This obi design is inspired by the Japanese lacquer painter and print artist of the late Edo period and early Meiji era. Zeshin’s works are often labeled as iki, which might be translated as “chic,” and considered to have just the right balance of tradition with the new.
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From the window of the glowing moon, you can almost hear the sound of bell crickets amongst the bush clover.
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Weeping cherry tree branches hang down like those of willows. Many pink, red, and white flowers bloom on each hanging branch. Also, the flowers hanging on the thin branches look as if they are hung on threads. It is called “Weeping thread cherry”. Some of these trees attain an excellent age of over 1000 years.
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Tango no Sekku, Boy’s Day also known as Ayame no Hi (Iris Festival), is one of the traditional ceremonies wishing for the son to grow strong and healthy just like the samurai.
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Ears of rice turn golden when the husks of the rice plants have accumulated enough nutrients. About 40-45 days after the ears appear, the now golden ears of rice are hanging down, and it is time to harvest the rice.
The ears of rice that bend low, as if from recognition of its cultivation owed to nature’s blessings, represent an appreciation of blessings.
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Snow is one of the atmospheric/earth phenomena, as well as a congratulatory symbol for a prosperous year.
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We all have memories of the spring grasses we saw in childhood. This obi design expresses the beautiful, yet humble wildflowers of Japan that tickle our curiosity. When we search for a design motif, we truly cherish the old references, although it might be refreshing to just go out for a walk to look for new ideas.
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Based on the Cyclical Perspective of Life, we see life as a cycle.
We can see that life has its own seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Every “season of life” has an irreplaceable meaning.
Spring: Equivalent to Childhood/Adolescence period)