Flowering Plants of the Seasonal Festivals of the New Year, May and September

Flowering Plants of the Seasonal Festivals of the New Year, May and September

A set of three hanging scrolls depicting the seasonal festivals of Jinjitsu-no Sekku held on the 7th day of the New Year, Tango-no Sekku (Feast of Flags or Boys' Festival) held on May 5th, and the Choyo-no Sekku (Chrysanthemum Festival) held on September 9. Depicted on the right scroll, is a fukuju-so (adonis ), also called “ganjitsu-so”(literally “plant of New Years Day”), which is a flower displayed to celebrate the new year. Depicted on the middle scroll, is a kusudama(decorative paper ball) which was hung at the house frontage on the Tango-no Sekku, to drive evil spirits away. The kusudama is an ornament made by irises which are medicinal herbs considered as an amulet, tied along with azaleas and camellias, with vermillion tassels and five colored threads hanging down. Depicted on the left scroll, is orchids, pomegranates, and pear fruits in a vermillion woven basket, expressing the Choyo-no Sekku. The painter, Yanagisawa Kien (1704-58), was a literary person who was well versed in various cultures such as painting, Chinese poems, calligraphy, Confucianism, seal-engraving, and medical science. （「Flowers of Felicitations」2019)