The gold-striped white petals of Yamayuri (golden-rayed lily) are gently swaying in the calm breeze of June and are silently announcing the arrival of early summer with their vibrant appearance and sweet fragrance.
As if to assist the graceful color and shape of these white flowers, the turquoise-blue flowers of Ajisai (hydrangea), which have richly absorbed rainwater, are quietly blooming close by like the beautiful court ladies of a summer palace.
Yamayuri is an endemic species to Japan and has long been cherished as a noble and luxurious summer flower. This flower is one of the classical motifs depicted in Japanese art and is said to symbolize elegance, purity, and nobility.
It frequently appears in Japanese-style paintings from the Edo and Meiji periods (1603-1912). The design of Yamayuri is also widely used in Japanese arts and crafts, such as ceramics, Yuzen kimono dyeing, and lacquerware, as a representative figure that symbolizes the passing summer.
