Yellow chrysanthemums, painted with ink and watercolours on rice paper. The watercolours are warm transparent yellows with a hint of oranges.
 
These elegant flowers have rich cultural background and symbolism. Chrysanthemums are part of the "four gentlemen" ("four nobles") of the traditional Chinese ink painting, together with bamboo, plum blossoms, and orchids. Kiku-no-hana (菊の花) or "kiku" for short, were imported to Japan from China and became immensely popular. In Japan, chrysanthemums are a Buddhist flower and a symbol of the imperial family. As the legend goes, chrysanthemum flowers had powers of longevity. Japanese royal family used the image of the flower as its emblem, the current emblem is a 16-petal flower.
 
Annual chrysanthemum festival usual includes a display of "Kiku Ningyo" - decorative dolls made from chrysanthemum flowers. The dolls represent characters from fairy tales. The full list of chrysanthemum symbolism, legends, are tales, is far too long. Naturally, theses beautiful flowers are well represented in art, painted in various styles, reprinted on fabric, used in motives of home decor, and grown in gardens. Curiously, there are even edible chrysanthemums. Perhaps, with hidden "longevity" qualities, who knows.
 
Calligraphy inscription is a verse from Yosa Buson haiku:
手燭して
色失へる
黄菊かな
[Shushoku shite/iro shitsu heru/kigiku kana]
which translates as:
Yellow chrysanthemums
fade in colour
as I hold a candle.
 
The painting is signed, sealed, wet-mounted on backing paper and ready to be framed. Please use acid-free adhesives when framing. the painting is manually cut, please leave a few mm error margin for dimensions. Note that colours may differ due to differences in devices.