Reader Collection > Blog > Seven Flowers of Autumn |
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| In Japan, the phrase “aki no nanakusa (i.e., seven flowers of autumn)” refers to the flower species mentioned in the following 8th century poem written by Okura Yamanoue（憶良 山上). | ||
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| This poem and the flowers it mentions are still popular in Japan today, with one change to the original set of seven flowers; namely, asagao (Japanese morning glory) is often replaced by kikyō (balloon flower). Whenever a Japanese artist has drawn an autumn scene (s)he typically included a subset of these flowers to indicate to the picture viewer that the season depicted is autumn. Two examples, chosen from the Reader Collection, are given below, followed by a close-up picture of each of the autumn flowers, also drawn by Japanese artists. | ||
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