Page 12 - Christies Japanese and Korean Art Sept 22 2020 NYC

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KANO TSUNENOBU (1636-1713)
Chrysanthemums Blooming in a Garden
Each signed Tsunenobu hitsu and sealed Fujiwara
Pair of six-panel screens; ink, color, gofun, gold and gold leaf on paper
66Ω x 150 in. (167 x 381 cm.) each (2)
$150,000-250,000

An elegant perennial that blooms for a long period of time, and
with a pure fragrance, the chrysanthemum is a flower of high status.

In the Japanese imagination, luxurious clusters of chrysanthemums
(kiku) immediately call to mind Kikujido (The Boy with the
Chrysanthemums), who became an immortal by writing the words
of the Lotus Sutra on chrysanthemum leaves in a beautiful valley
brimming with flowers. From popular woodblock prints to Noh
dance, this auspicious theme of longevity, adapted from Chinese
legend, had wide appeal in Edo-period Japan. The boy dancing
with mums became a trope for purity.

Chrysanthemums are emblematic of autumn and the ninth month.
In early Japanese poetry they may conjure dark overtones of sadness,
mortality and impermanence. But there is also the opposite side of
the coin—brilliant colors and the elixir of immortality associated
with chrysanthemum wine. This seasonal drink is said to have
wholesome effects on sharpness of the eye, alleviation of headache,
drop of hypertension and weight reduction, thus contributing to
longevity. An age-old tradition in China is to climb to a high place
on the ninth day of the ninth month, or the Double Ninth, to eat
and drink with family and friends and enjoy the autumn scenery,
especially chrysanthemums. Drinking chrysanthemum wine on the
Double Ninth is said to promote good health and prolong life.
Here, the rainbow-colored array of blossoms—a cornucopia verging
on excess—suggests conspicuous wealth. The clusters of blossoms
are yellow, white, red and orange, but also shades of pink, violet
and purple—the colors preferred by gardeners. (Some flowers even
appear blue, although the world’s first true blue chrysanthemums
were only created in 2017 when Japanese scientists combined the
DNA of three plants.)