Keywords
Art History
Painting
A design depicting chrysanthemums floating on a river. In China it is associated with longevity, probably in connection with the belief in a medicinal type chrysanthemum which, when it falls into a certain stream, allows those who habitually drink from it to live to an advanced age. However, a book concerning Chinese legends, the Feng Su Tong 風俗通, states that traditionally a chrysanthemum near the water was thought to have occult power. The design first came to Japan during the Kamakura period when it was used on bronze mirrors, lacquer, and dyed textiles. In the Edo period it was used on *kosode 小袖 and *noh 能 garments. Since the 14th century, it has been best known as the pattern found on the crest of the Kusunoki 楠 family.
