The contrast of the pine to the latish camomile blossom reminds me of the Chinese symbol "Three Friends of Winter" - pine, bamboo and winter cherry.
I was astonished that in one field a huge "bush" of camomile still was still flowering with big white blossoms. They lasts very long in the vase, and always bring words like "innocent, smiling and pure" to my mind (akin to marguerites).
Why are pine, bamboo and winter cherry called the Three Friends of Winter and used in Chinese symbols? Is there, for example, no bamboo outside winter?
ReplyDeleteA in Europe well-known Chinese picture - so writes Marianne Beuchert in her wonderful book "Symbolik der Pflanzen" - "... shows twigs of pine in company of Winter-Cherry (Prunus mume), a symbol of "Three friends of Winter" - or of Age. Pine and bamboo, because they are evergreen, the winter cherry because of its courage, to start at the least sign of spring awakening instantly with flowering."
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Pine is so interesting: a symbol for friendship - because it accommodates itself to the prevailing circumstances. In Japan Jo and Übt are symbols for a long lasting marriage - they sit under a pine - and pine is on a table when someone marries.
Beautiful blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rajani - I will, and now I do have two of them (coming back from Berlin I have now the time).
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