In Japan, a chrysanthemum is not just a beautiful flower. The chrysanthemum, or kiku, is revered throughout the island country as a symbol of the sun, perfection, and long life.

Keika Hasegawa translated the graceful beauty of the flowers to the page in One Hundred Chrysanthemums. Each delicately-colored woodcut features a perfect bloom balanced atop a long single-stemmed plant. In life, cultivated through the art of ogiku (?single stem?), these plants can reach six feet tall with enormous blossoms the size of softballs.

Chrysanthemums came to Japan from China around the 8th century A.D., and the Emperor adopted the 16-petaled flower, or Ichimonjiginu, as the crest and official seal. Each fall during the ?Festival of Happiness?, cascades of chrysanthemums decorate temples throughout Japan. Kiku cultivation reached perfection in the 19th century, when Hasegawa created his prints.