samurai that pair with flowers

[Calle Olsson]

I'm searching for samurai/outlaw stories that can pair with flowers, any really, cause most of them that i have found it wasn't traditional to have any flora in them....although i Think kyomunryu shishin can be paired with Cherry blossoms, but not sure...

[Lance]

I'm searching for samurai/outlaw stories that can pair with flowers, any really, cause most of them that i have found it wasn't traditional to have any flora in them....although i Think kyomunryu shishin can be paired with Cherry blossoms, but not sure...

Off the top of my head the story of Taira no Koremochi involves maple leaves.

[TaeTae]

Uesugi Kenshin vs Takeda Shingen is paired with Sakura.

[cvportagee]

I was told Kumonryu Shishin can be paired with almost any flowers assuming other rules (i.e. seasons) are observed. I have a Kumonryu Shishin back piece with kiku.

[TaeTae]

I would think generic samurai can be paired with any flower, sakura is a fairly classic combination.

The 'seasons' and other rules of Japanese tattooing seems to vary from artist to artsit. There was one guy who said the Cherry blossoms should not be paired with snakes. I have seen a number of Irezumi masters use this combination, including Horiyoshi iii. He has also done a sleeves with kiku, sakura and botan all in one sleeve and Botan and Momiji in the same image.

Back on topic

Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen by Horimatsu

[DJDeepFried]

This is probably the most comprehensive explanation I've found on the internets of the "what goes with what" vis-a-vis flowers that I think you were referring to. Some of this seems like common sense -- like don't mix plants from different seasons -- but I agree: if you're not super hung up on what's "traditional," get what you dig. From an interview with Horihide:

"Tattooists who have not been apprenticed and trained by tattoo masters do not know the reasons or meanings of the traditional designs. For example, there are four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter) in Japan. The seasons should be expressed in tattoo art as well. Real Japanese tattoo artists express each season on the skin. However, the untrained tattooists do not know traditional thoughts on Japanese art. The untrained tattooists draw a snake and cherry blossoms, but this is a wrong way in tradition. When cherry trees begin to bloom in March in Japan, the snake still hibernates under the ground. So the snake and cherry blossom cannot be seen in the same period. In other words, it does not make any sense if the snake and cherry blossoms are drawn together.

Some tattooists draw a carp climbing up the waterfall together with peonies. Actually, we can see the carp climbing up the waterfall from the late September to October in Japan. It is supposed to go with maple leaves, not peonies. (The symbol of maple leaves refers to the autumn.) When hutatsugoi (twin carp) and huhugoi (a married couple carp) are drawn, two carp (one carp for the arm, for example) can go with peonies, because we do not have to express seasons in these cases. There are several traditional combinations: Karajishi, which is a combination Shishi (lion) with botan (peonies), and ryu (dragon) with kiku (chrysanthemum) and menchirashi (men means “a mask,” and chirashi or chirasu means “to scatter”) with cherry blossoms. Those images are particular sets for Japanese traditional tattoo designs.”

Re-post from: ANCIENT ART OF THE JAPANESE TEBORI TATTOO MASTERS | INK IN HARMONY | The Selvedge Yard

[TaeTae]

Horiyoshi iii

Snake and Cherry blossoms. I wouldn't call him Untrained and unaware :rolleyes:

[kylegrey]

Horiyoshi iii

Snake and Cherry blossoms. I wouldn't call him Untrained and unaware :rolleyes:

True but by the same token many consider his work (especially latter ) not strictly traditional Japanese . He is known to break with tradition and refers to the process as Shu Ha Ri -

" Under a master, you could learn the basics , shading , how you draw waves , rocks , you learn the basics . That is Shu . Ha is to recreate these in your own way , you have the basics but you create something newer . Another way to say Ha is to elaborate . Ri is to destroy and to recreate something absolutely new " Horiyoshi III .

[TaeTae]

That's fair enough. From what I have seen most of the masters of Tebori and Irezumi do not follow any particular strict rules. There are obviously still some classic combinations that will never change, Karajishi botan is the best example of this.