Japanese
Carved Manju Netsuke
Chrysanthemum
Floral Motif
Signature: signed, Circa: 1900S' H
2 in.(5cm), W 2 in.(5cm), D 0.75 in.(2cm)
Condition: excellent! This
regal chrysanthemum kagamibuta manju netsuke is a beautiful evocation of Japan’s
imperial flower. For ten centuries the Nihonshoki, (the Chrysanthemum Throne)
has featured a sixteen petal golden chrysanthemum as its emblem. The chrysanthemum,
also known as the "Autumn Flower", is one of the four"honorable plants". The others
are plum, orchid and bamboo all that are symbols of nobility. In China, chrysanthemums
were cultivated in as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BCE. They
have long been considered a curative and even an essential element in elixirs
of longevity. The Chinese poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), in his poem "Li Sao" speaks
of the deeply nourishing and curative properties of the chrysanthemum. Drink dew
from the magnolia in the morning and take autumn chrysanthemum's falling petals
as food in the evening. This Showa era netsuke provides a luscious, classic and
highly detailed rendering of this quintessential flower.
Private Collection |