Irises in full bloom among sword-like leaves are the most iconic
motif in the art of Rinpa. The motif originates in a poem from
the Tales of Ise collection compiled in Japan in the Heian
period (794-1185 CE). The poems and accompanying narrative
explore nature, courtly society, love and relationships. In
chapter nine of these tales, a man heartbroken by an
unattainable love for a higher-ranking lady leaves the capital
and his wife for the eastern region. When he and his travelling
companions reach Mikawa province, they come across a swamp with
plank bridges laid in all directions among flowering irises.
Moved by the beauty of the scene, he composes a poem, with the
first letter of each of the five lines beginning with one of the
five syllables of the Japanese word for iris: ka-ki-tsu-ba-ta.
When the group hears the poem, they realise it expresses the
man’s longing for the wife he left behind. This brings a
melancholy mood to the travellers. In a humorous twist, the
story ends when they discover that the dried