“An Iris Garden" by Mortimer Menpes, R. I., from “Japan, A Record in Colour” by Dorothy Menpes

An Iris Garden

Mortimer Menpes

1901

Watercolour

Source: Japan, A Record in Colour, facing p. 104

The iris is particularly loved in Japan, and has spiritual connotations. The original sketch, providing the first illustration in Menpes' chapter on gardens, may have been the result of a visit like the one recorded below. — Jacqueline Banerjee

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"We dined in one of the summer-houses off dainty plates served us by little musmés [musumē means a young women] while seated on the white mats. The blooms of the iris appeared softly luminous, emitting a ghostly light. It is this spiritual beauty which makes the flowers such a favourite in temple gardens, and inspires the Japanese to poetry. On the edge of a tiny lake, approached by a winding walk, through an avenue of bamboo trellis-work, was a small shed with a quaint roof. In the shed the model of a junk was placed. Near it were ink and small strips of paper. The junk was designed to receive poems on the beauty of the iris and of the garden" (111).

Bibliography

Menpes, Dorothy. Japan: A Record in Colour. London: Adam & Charles Black, 1901. Internet Archive version of a copy in the University of California Libraries. Web. 27 June 2019.

Created 27 June 2019