Japanese art and meaning.

This flower is a symbol of purity .  Since it sprouts from muddy waters, the lotus shows that beauty can come from unexpected places.   Rich with divine symbolism, it also represents enlightenment .  In irezumi, the lotus flower is typically paired with Buddhist imagery, whether as a floral throne for a Buddha or as a divine trope.  Buddhas and bodhisattvas are usually depicted sitting or standing on the lotus flower as well as holding it.  The lotus also makes a fine stand-alone tattoo.

 In irezumi, the most popular seasons are spring and autumn.  During these wonderfully bright and colorful in-between times, everything is in flux and either coming to life or beginning to wither.   Capturing these fleeting, ephemeral moments makes them all the more powerful . In Japan, nothing sums up the country's concept of beauty - or the country itself - better than the cherry blossom, or sakura in Japanese.  Cherry trees bloom for a few days, and then the blossoms fall to the ground or are washed away in a sudden spring rain.  The entire country holds picnics called ohana-mi (literally "flower viewing"), a tradition that stems from an eighth-century aristocratic pastime.  People eat, drink, and make merry with friends while soaking up the pink-and-white landscape.  Other venerable spring rituals include picking and preparing flowers to by eaten so their power is transferred into the body.  In a way, tattoos of spring flowers are an ...