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Peony (Botan)

The peony, an outstanding flower representative of Asia, comes in many varieties cultivated from ancient times

Considered the king of flowers, the peony is a deciduous shrub of the Paeoniaceae family. Originally from China, it came to Japan in ancient times and was planted for ornamental purposes. Botan is the Japanese pronunciation of its Chinese name. It is also called bota, hatsukagusa (twenty-day grass), fukamigusa, natorigusa, and yamatachibana (mountain citrus).

       Peonies stand about 1 to 3 meters in height, have large leaves, and produce large flowers with a bloom diameter of about 20 centimeters in spring. Flower forms vary from semi-double to hundred proliferate, to lion, to two layer, and colors range from red, to magenta, to dark purple, to peach, to yellow, and to white.

       To grow peonies that bloom in the colder months, one removes the spring buds, cuts the leaves in summer, grows the second buds, and admires the flowers that blossom from late autumn to winter.

       The root skin has a strong odor and is used as medicine for headaches, arthritis, rheumatism, bruises, and gynecological disorders.

       During the Heian period, peonies were already being cultivated. In Kagero nikki (The Gossamer Years), Michitsuna's mother describes watching "a peony as it scatters its petals without any taste." In her Pillow Book, Sei Shonagon describes a peony planted on the table as something interesting. It seems that peonies were usually planted as garden flowers. During the Kamakura (1185-1333) and Muromachi (1336-1573) periods, peonies were widely planted in temples and gardens, and during the Genroku (1688-1704) and Hoei (1704-1711) eras of the Edo period, viewing peonies became popular. In a poem, Yosa Buson wrote, "The peony petals are scattered two and three deep."

       The peony figures centrally in the crest of the Konoe family, the head family of the five regent houses. It was therefore the most authoritative crest after the chrysanthemum crest (the imperial family), paulownia crest (various administrations from the Muromachi period to the present), and hollyhock crest (the Tokugawa family). The Shimazu, Date, and Tsugaru daimyo all used peonies in their crests. Configurations of peonies in family crests include the Konoe peony, the Tsugaru peony, the peony viewed from below, and apricot leaves and peony.

       A Chinese lion frolicking among peonies is a well-liked theme in art. Also, the ghost story Botan doro (Peonies and Lanterns) at the end of the Edo period (1603-1867) is well known.

       According to Kadan jikin sho (Select Garden Flowers Illustrated in Color, 1695), during the Edo period there were 179 varieties of white peonies, 160 varieties of red peonies, and 138 varieties of Chikuzen peonies. Currently, the main areas producing peonies are Niigata and Shimane prefectures. The many places famous for their peonies include Kanahebisui Shrine in Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture; Sukagawa Peony Garden in Fukushima Prefecture; Yakyu Inari Shrine in Higashi Matsuyama, Saitama Prefecture; Kasuisai in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture; Hase Temple in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture; and Taima and Sekko temples in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture.

Related People, Things and Events

Books

史書・古典にみえる牡丹

牡丹の栽培・園芸に関する本

Related Works

絵画に描かれた牡丹(日本)

工芸品に描かれた牡丹(日本・染織)

工芸品に描かれた牡丹(日本・陶磁)

工芸品に描かれた牡丹(日本・漆工/金工/その他)

絵画・工芸品に描かれた牡丹(海外)

Videos

Past Exhibitions

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華鴒大塚美術館2019/10/122019/12/1
平野美術館2013/4/132013/6/9
山種美術館2011/4/272011/6/5
徳川美術館2010/4/102010/5/23
東京国立博物館2008/5/82008/7/27
大阪市立東洋陶磁美術館2006/4/42006/7/23
杉本美術館2006/4/202006/9/19

Institutions Holding Related Materials

  • 協会会員の全国の牡丹園を検索することができる。(種類、株数、ホームページなどを掲載)

  • 290種7,000株の牡丹が植えられている牡丹園。

  • 550種1万株の牡丹や250種5万株のシャクヤクをはじめとした花々を観賞できる世界最大級の牡丹庭園。

  • 上野公園内。約250種3,200株の牡丹が咲く。4月中旬からは「春のぼたん祭り」、1月からは「冬のぼた祭り」を開催。

  • 毎年4月中旬から5月上旬にかけて、3,000坪の敷地内に約150種2,000株の色とりどりの牡丹が咲く。

  • 約3500㎡の園内に1300余株の牡丹が咲く。毎年4月中旬頃より、つつじや藤の花と合わせて牡丹を楽しむことができる。

  • 毎年4月中旬から5月上旬にかけて、境内の全山に150種7,000株が咲く。また、12月下旬から1月下旬には、藁の霜囲いをした冬の牡丹と寒牡丹が楽しめる。

  • さまざまな種類の牡丹を写真入りで紹介する。原種と、これまで開発・作出された既品種に大別され、既品種は日本系、アメリカ系、フランス系、中国系で分類されている。

  • 植物、花の基本情報、育て方などを「趣味の園芸」講師陣が執筆する。園芸相談Q&Aや特集コーナーがある。

References

  1. 「ボタン」の項
  2. 「ボタン」の項
  3. 日立デジタル平凡社,平凡社
  4. 「牡丹」の項