The Mighty Pine

Years ago when I was visiting my family in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, I painted this picture of a pine cone during a sunset. It was such a spare of the moment painting, which I used every medium of paint my family had in their house. I did not have a camera to take a photo, so this paintings by memory. Intrigued by the reflection of the sun and the vibrant colors it layered across the sky behind this branch. It was touching to view the strength of this lone pine cone. The cone stood out from anything else I was looking at during dinner.

When I studied Japanese in college, the pine had a symbolism I remembered when I was painting this picture. During the time of ancient and feudal war in Japan, the pine symbolized the vitality and growth it shows in all four seasons by remaining green the entire year. The Japanese regard the pine as a symbol of good fortune, longevity, and steadfastness. As a practice, the Japanese display the pine as a crest, a motif of winter, or as decoration symbolizing a welcome to the God or Goddess of a New Year. This display was placed on a gate, a wall, or a low hanging tree and is still in practice today.

The various types of pine foliage --almost 100 variations-- are presented in three designs: Needles and single or multiple pine cones, a branch with needles, or the whole pine containing its roots. The Hino, a family of noble stature from the (1193-1332) Kamakura Period, originated the first pine crest accompanied by a crane or heron. The use of this crest is an ornament on the crown of a Japanese helmet (known as a mabizashi-tsuke kabuto or visor-attached helmet). The crest was also placed on banners taken into battles or on carriages carrying clansmen and women of noble rank.

This crest was used by the Matsuda in Shimane Prefecture, and by three families in Kagawa Prefecture; the Iida, the Fuke, and the Samukawa. Later, 15 families in the Fuji clan adopted this crest in the Sanuki Prefecture. Beginning in 1603, the Edo Period, the crest was commissioned by the daimyo families Nishio and Nagai, and 50 families of direct retainers for the Shogun.

Pine took on a new meaning as the plant was depicted in crests, art, calligraphy, and poetry in the form of a Haiku. 

The twin-pine of Takekuma was a gigantic pine tree that was visited by many. Sadly, on the second visit from a respected poet named Noin travelling to see the pines, he was devastated to see that one trunk was cut down by the newly appointed Governor to form a bridge over the River Notori. The tree was planted and chopped down many times in the last 1000 years, and today it is just as splendid as it was in the past as mentioned in the poems below.

The following haikus were written by modern poets reminiscing about the twin-trunks of the famous Takekuma Pine Tree. 

The poet Kyoshu wrote:

Don't forget to show my master
The famous pine of Takekuma,
Late cherry blossoms
Of the far north.

The following poem was in reply:

Three months after we saw
Cherry blossoms together
I came to see the glorious
Twin trunks of the pine.