The Actor Yamashita Kinsaku II as Lady Kikusui (Kikusui Gozen) in the Play Kaeribana Eiyu Taiheiki, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1779 c. 1779

This woodblock print, crafted by Katsukawa Shunkō in 1779, captures the actor Yamashita Kinsaku II as Lady Kikusui, a character rich with symbolic weight. Note how Kikusui is adorned with a chrysanthemum motif, a powerful emblem of longevity and imperial authority in Japanese culture. The chrysanthemum, or “kiku,” appears not only in artistic forms, but also in heraldry and on the Imperial Crest. Its origins can be found in ancient Chinese culture, where it was initially valued for its medicinal properties believed to prolong life. As it traveled through time, it found its way into the Japanese aesthetic tradition, gradually evolving into a symbol of the emperor and the Chrysanthemum Throne. The presence of the chrysanthemum here suggests a subtle comment on the play’s themes of power, endurance, and perhaps even the transient nature of earthly rule. Much like the "kiku", symbols are never static; they evolve and adapt, echoing through the corridors of cultural memory.