Menuki motif I.D.

[Ron STL]

I'm trying to identify the plant used on the inside side of these two early shakudo menuki. I understand the outside position being aoi leaves but this other plant/blossom puzzles me. Any suggests, gents and ladies?

Thanks, Ron

[Soshin]

Hi Ron,

 

To me it looks like cherry blossom (Sakura). Just my opinion.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Bugyotsuji]

Have you not got a better shot than that?

 

(The flowers have a kind of Chrysanthemum appearance to them... ?)

[Tanto54]

Hi, I can't be sure from the picture (a clearer picture would help), but these menuki may have Buddhist images. I don’t believe that those are aoi leaves because they usually have the “veins” radiating from one point at the base of the leaf where the stem attaches instead of radiating from a central midrib like in your menuki. Instead, I think that this may be a Buddhist Wheel with 6 spokes capped by petals (usually with 8 spokes capped with petals but sometimes with 6 in Japan) “overpowering” an 8 petal flower. The tear drop shapes may be mokugyos or hollow wooden “gongs” (they appear to have the slots cut across the bottom edge that you’d expect on a mokugyo). The final item appears to be a kushi (comb) and may be related to the Wani Buddhist idea of death and resurrection.