Bloemen c. 1850

This woodblock print was created by Utagawa Kuniteru in 19th-century Japan and is titled 'Bloemen'. The image is comprised of three panels that depict women in what seems to be a courtesan house. Notice how each woman has a different floral pattern on her kimono. Floral motifs in Japanese art carry a complex language of symbolism. Cherry blossoms represent the ephemeral nature of life, while chrysanthemums embody longevity and imperial power. We see the flower's journey across time, as it blossoms in ancient Greece as a symbol of beauty, reborn in Christian Europe to represent the Virgin Mary, and here, in Japan, on the kimonos of these women. Each culture imprints its desires, dreams, and fears onto the delicate petals. The emotional resonance is powerful: the fleeting beauty of flowers juxtaposed with the enduring human spirit. These symbols resurface, transformed yet familiar, echoing through the corridors of our collective memory.