Kanzashi of The Month: September - Bell Flowers and Bush Clover
And here I thought that the titles couldn’t get longer after the last one, but it appears I was mistaken! This is another combination entry as both examples display both motifs. As usual, all kanzashi are from Kazurasei.
Image courtesy of Kazurasei. Kikyō (桔梗) - Bell Flowers Hagi (萩) - Bush Clover Although September is still quite hot for the majority of Japan, the full moon is considered the border between summer and autumn, with this time represented by a group of plants collectively known as “The Seven Friends of Autumn” (Aki No Nanakusa - 秋の七草). Just like Shōchikubai (Pine, Bamboo, and Plum) is also known as “The Three Friends of Winter” and ushers in the spring, these seven usher in the opposite. Among their ranks include: Kuzu (葛) - Arrowroot Fujibakama (藤袴) - Thoroughwort Ominaeshi (女郎花) - Patrina Nadeshiko (撫子) - Carnations Obana/Susuki (尾花/薄) - Pampas Grass Kikyō (桔梗) - Bell Flower Hagi (萩) - Bush Clover What may seem confusing at first is that they’re all valid symbols of summer in their own right! You can often see all seven of those motifs on summer kimono and obi, but just like the previous motifs some fit better into specific months than others (we’ve already seen Pampas Grass in August and Carnations in June). Bell flowers, like most of their summer compatriots, can be seen in either purple, pink, or white on kanzashi. The most popular color for bell flowers is overwhelmingly purple, as the sight of a flower blooming in such a cool color is seen as a signal of autumn’s cooling weather that will drive away the oppressive summer heat! Purple just also happens to be the most popular color for the plant itself if you went out to purchase one for yourself.
Image courtesy of Kazurasei. Bush clover, on the other hand, isn’t a bold plant, so it’s often paired with bell flowers to celebrate the end of summer. As can be surmised from its name, bush clover grows wild like a bush and is usually found in shades of pink, white, or somewhere in between. Oddly enough, the bush clover actually isn’t a member of the clover family, but rather the pea bush family! It’s called a clover because its leaves are often clustered in groups of three and are rounded like that of a wild clover. You may also remember the song Hagi Kikyō (萩桔梗 - Bush Clover and Bell Flowers) that was covered in a previous spotlight. Since bell flowers and bush clovers are representative of the changing of seasons we can better understand the often cryptic words and appreciate the song to a much wider extent ^^
Image courtesy of Onihide. When it comes to maiko, bell flowers tend to follow the rules of juniors and seniors; that is, juniors wear clusters of small blooms while seniors wear large blooms in groups of three or just one singular bloom, like with Ayano (彩乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu above. Junior maiko can wear a single bell flower if a tassel is attached to show their lower status and this combination can be seen a few times each year. Bush clover, on the other hand, is mostly used as an accent for senior maiko or a full motif for junior maiko. Bush clover tends to look best on junior maiko as the blooms of the bush clover tend to have an overall wispy effect, so they already look like the shidare that the most junior maiko often wear, like Katsue (佳つ江) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu below. In many cases people often mistake shidare bush clover for May’s wisteria as the colors and style are very similar! However, Wisteria will either present as just one long shidare piece or will have arching blooms at the top of the kanzashi while the shidare hanging underneath the bush clover will have the small, clover-like leaves in a mass at the top and no arching blossoms.
Image courtesy of Masahiro.