Scroll (385 x 8590 mm.), inner front endpaper with rich sprays of gold, outer side covered with silk having a repeating pattern of the chrysanthemum flower, wooden core roller. [Japan: late Edo].

The chrysanthemum came from China to Japan as a medicinal plant in the Nara period (710-93) and soon became revered in Japanese culture as a symbol of longevity and rejuvenation. From the Kamakura period (1192-1333) to this day, the chrysanthemum has been the emblem of the imperial family. The Imperial or National Seal of Japan is called the Chrysanthemum Seal (菊紋, kikumon). In Japan, the flower has been... More