Spring

The beautiful woman is attended by a younger servant who shades her mistress with a red parasol emblazoned with a crest of the paulownia flower. The branches of the flowering cherry tree are strung with red cord from which golden bells are hung. The practice of festooning blossoming cherries with bells is known as "gokarei" or "protecting the flowers." The paulownia crest is a historical and literary reference to the powerful sixteenth century warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) who held huge, extravagant parties to view the luxurious blossoms.