May Kanzashi Feature

This section is a part of kanzashi feature, providing a more in detail look at the symbolism, style, colorings, and design of the kanzashi that are traditionally worn during that month - in this case, May. The month of May is when the nice Spring breeze begins to come to an end to give way to the warmer months of Summer with many bright colored flowers heralding the oncoming season.



Blue-Flag Iris (ayame)

With Spring ending many flowers fade, but you'll find that many bright colored flowers are coming up in their place imitating the warmth and brightness of Summer. The fading of April's cherry blossoms brings in the beauty of May's many colorful varieties of Iris. The iris was named after a Greek word for rainbow to denote the many colors that this flower can come in, but the one most recognized throughout Japan is the Blue Flag Iris, known as Ayame in Japan. The Japanese iris is highly adaptable and can be found across many areas of Japan, often growing in clusters and small groups.

Iris kanzashi come in many varieties, just as their living counterparts do. They can be made of many materials with the most often found being silk folded tsumami style with green & gold mizuhiki cords. Less common would be Iris kanzashi made entirely of mizuhiki cords. The colorings of the kanzashi Iris can vary greatly, but will most often be of purple coloring or of a more blue-ish hue to imitate the look of the blue-flag variety. The center part of the kanzashi is similar to the outer layer, in that it simulates the folding aspect of the true to life flower it was modeled after. The leaves of the iris kanzashi are often made of mizuhiki cord to get the distinct shape of the iris leaf, and are usually green with gold accents.

You may see other kanzashi designs that look to simulate the look of other varieties of iris, rather than the more popular blue-flag type. Different colorings and slight style changes are popular with less formal kanzashi. Other designs may take a more stylistic approach and will employ bright colors and unusual characteristics to make a more modern fashion statement. You will most commonly see iris kanzashi as a large single flower design, or as small groupings of three, and even smaller flowers in a cluster. The large single Ayame design may also have bira bira dangles underneath, as is popular with large single flower designs.

Wisteria (fuji)

The wisteria is often part of many memorable scenes in traditional Japanese styles of entertainment and for good reason. Wisteria, known as fuji in Japan, was often grown in noble's homes and in the entertainment districts during earlier time periods to add a sense of wonder and beauty to the area. The wisteria plant, must go through a long juvenile stage before it is able to bloom, making them a plant to be cared for for many years, but once this stage is reached their lovely vines will have spread out to make a pretty scene. Many consider them essential to a proper Japanese garden, while others use their overhead foliage to make interesting canopies, such as for open aired restaurants, making them widely seen and appreciated. 

Wisteria kanzashi have a particular look, but come in a few colors, with the most common being white with touches of purple or pink to imitate the look of Japanese wisteria. They can be made of many materials, but are found mostly as the silk folded tsumami style. They will usually be seen dangling down in a vine like grouping, with the petals gradually getting smaller as they reach the tip much as the real plant. Also, rather than completely being petals there may be small branches or vines that have leaves on them as well.

Also seen are non-traditional designs with a modern edge that make use of brighter colors or odd add-ons for a more relaxed casual feeling more befitting of modern fashion.

Small mizuhiki cords spiraling out may also be present to represent the new growth and twisting nature of the vine. Another embellishment sometimes found on fuji kanzashi is cho cho, meaning butterflies, as they are a popular Spring time motif for Spring kanzashi. Due to their vine nature the Wisteria kanzashi is often presented in a cluster format or in a small grouping meant to dangle and fall gracefully near the face.



As you can see, all of the kanzashi found in the month of May are quite beautiful and represent the feelings natural aspects of the month with grace, much as their natural counterparts do. Every month holds a uniqueness about it that is better captured in the art of kanzashi than is usually noticed in today's fast paced world. I hope you have enjoyed reading about May's traditional seasonal kanzashi. Expect more articles to be added for each month in the future!

Author: Skye Altamirano
Date: May 2008
Contact: tantaga [at] tantaga.com

Kanzashi Artist/Photographer: Amaebi79 (Iris & Wisteria)

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