Theme Help - Geranium Vs Wasabi

[Curran]

There is a particular plant, often seen as menuki and sometimes on tsuba.

 

One respected Japanese authority translated it as 'Geranium' - such as an African Geranium. I couldn't find any images of Japanese Geraniums that seemed closer. When shown an old painting of 'wild ginger' aka. Wasabi, which is 山葵 [literally Mountain Hollyhock], i began to question that description.

 

Here is an auction for menuki, where I believe the seller IDs it as 山葵 wasabi.

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o230636559

 

Votes:  African Geranium or Wasabi (山葵)?  WILD GINGER

[SteveM]

I vote for yamawasabi. The theme seems to be common, the plant is apparently auspicious, grows on water and the aoi (hollyhock) leaf reminds us of the Tokugawa family crest. I'm no botanist, but the internet tells me geraniums didn't arrive in Japan until the end of the Tokugawa government. Linking some other variations.  

 

http://inishie-kb.jp/2017/04/04/tb0015/

http://fluorite.sakura.ne.jp/contentspage/kodougu/b_n_contents/bn005_082/bn005_082.html

http://www.katana-hattori.com/tsuba/03_12.html

[TETSUGENDO]

One vote for Wasabi

[Curran]

I vote for yamawasabi. The theme seems to be common, the plant is apparently auspicious, grows on water and the aoi (hollyhock) leaf reminds us of the Tokugawa family crest. I'm no botanist, but the internet tells me geraniums didn't arrive in Japan until the end of the Tokugawa government. Linking some other variations.  

 

http://inishie-kb.jp/2017/04/04/tb0015/

http://fluorite.sakura.ne.jp/contentspage/kodougu/b_n_contents/bn005_082/bn005_082.html

http://www.katana-hattori.com/tsuba/03_12.html

 

Thank you for those links, especially the fluorite.sakura.ne.jp one that shows some very good examples. To see it on the ko-mino kogai was surprising.

 

I wasn't aware geraniums only arrived in Japan in the 1800s.

The tsuba is from Ito-san's Jingo book and described as 1st Gen and theme of Geraniums. I couldn't agree with it.

[MauroP]

Wild ginger (Asarum caulescens) in Japanese is called aoi - 葵. Wasabi is a completely different genus (Eutrema japonicum).

Mauro

[Curran]

Wild ginger (Asarum caulescens) in Japanese is called aoi - 葵. Wasabi is a completely different genus (Eutrema japonicum).

 

Thank you Mauro.

That would be my mistake for having relied upon this article: https://buckteethmagazine.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/wasabi-cultivation-and-culture-by-zoe-templeton/

 

"Originally known in Japan as “wild ginger”, wasabi came to be cultivated over eleven hundred years ago."

It is a nice article, but I guess it is flawed.

 

While I had received several other recommendations on the National Gardening Forum of what it could be, none came up with Wild Ginger (Asarum caulescens).