Discussion

Camellias

Camellias are flowering bushes that can grow up to 66 feet tall depending on the species.

There are over 220 camellia species and tens of thousands of cultivars, most of which are native to tropical and subtropical areas of southeastern Asia to Indonesia and Japan, though ornamental varieties are now being cultivated around the world. The largest camellia garden in the United States is in Descanso Gardens in Pasadena, California. Thousands of camellia plants populate Descanso's camellia forest, sheltered under a canopy of coast live oak trees.

One camellia species, Camellia sinensis, is the most common commercial source for tea. Depending on how the leaves (and sometimes stems) are processed, the plant can yield white tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea, and black tea. Leaves from C. sinensis were the center of attention during the Boston Tea Party in 1773. 

Another commercial use for C. sinensis is to produce tea seed oil or camellia oil, a high-quality vegetable cooking oil used mostly in China. As of 2016, 9,900,000 acres of land in China has been used for the production of .26 million tons of oil annually.

Most people are more familiar with ornamental camellia species. The majority of camellia blossoms appear in the fall through the winter, but some bloom in the spring.

Blossoms range in color from white through pink to red. Yellow flowers are found in South China and Vietnam.

Some cultivated camellia varieties come in multiple colors.

Blossom shapes vary, but a dense cluster of yellow stamens at the center, whether it can be easily seen or not, is common to all camellia species.

The primary Japanese name for camellia is tsubaki, but rather than being the name for the whole genera, it is the name for a specific species; C. japonica. Its common name is common camellia or Japanese camellia. In spite of its name, the plant is not native to Japan. It is a Chinese variety that was imported to Japan centuries ago. The first photo in this unit above is a C. japonica. There is a closer look.

As with many camellia species, C. japonica cultivars have variations in color and blossom shape. Its wood is almost as dense as oak wood, though it is more fragile, and it is sometimes used to carve objects. Some of these are wooden practice swords (bokken).

A camellia species that really is native to Japan is C. sasanqua, named after the Japanese word for it; sazanka. It is mostly found in the southern isles of Kyūshū, Shikoku, and the Ryūkyū Islands. Sazanka is my model for this week's demonstration painting.

Bonsai

This beautiful example of bonsai living art is a tsubaki (C. japonica).

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753 – 1806)

Known especially for his ukiyo-e paintings of beauties of the demimonde, Utamaro's painting below is from a series titled Flowers of Edo: Girl Ballad Singers (1803).

Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826 – 1869)

Hiroshige II was a student of Hiroshige's. After his master's death, Hiroshige II married his master's daughter and adopted his name. II's painting style was so similar to the master's that scholars have sometimes had a hard time distinguishing between the two. The camellia print below is from the 36 Selected Flowers series (1866).

Kōno Bairei (1844 – 1895)

Bairei originally studied ukiyo-e art in the Maruyama school. After its master died, Bairei continued his studies with the Shijo school. He is known for painting landscapes and kachō-ga (pictures of birds and flowers). His artwork included touches of Western realism. Bairei's Camellia and Grey Heron painting below was published in 1883.

Imao Keinen (1845 - 1924)

Keinen was a professor at the Kyōto School of Painting. Following the publication of Keinen's Picture Album of Birds and Flowers Pictures (1892), he became a member of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. Keinen was a prominent member of the shin-hanga movement to restore traditional subjects, techniques, and values to Japanese prints. His Camellia and Blackbird print was produced in 1891.