Chrysanthemum

菊 kiku

Chrysanthemum

A symbol of longevity, good health and protection from evil, and the imperial emblem; the flower of autumn.

From China around the Nara–Heian periods; imperial crest from the early Kamakura period

Chrysanthemums came from China as a medicinal plant, celebrated at the court's Chōyō festival on the ninth day of the ninth month for long life. In the Heian period they decorated court dress and furnishings. Emperor Go-Toba (r. 1183–98) favoured the design, and it became the imperial crest; the 16-petal form was fixed officially in the Meiji period. Edo-period breeding produced many varieties, and the motif spread to ordinary dress after the Edo period.

The 16-petal crest is on Japanese passports; chrysanthemum shows are held every autumn.

Technique catalog · draft for review

Every way to wrap, carry and wear a furoshiki.

The furoshiki.com archive, sliced into annotated steps with plain directions, plus techniques found in research.