The Cultivars of the Ornamental Lotus Observed in the Picture Books in the Edo Period

Abstract

The picture books and the cultivars of the ornamental lotus in the Edo Period are investigated by the method of cluster analysis and the like. Then, the picture books are classified into 2 groups; the one is related to ‘Seikohfu’ which has been lost but is the most authoritative picture book of the lotus in the Edo Period. And the cultivars are graded into 4 groups on the point of popularity by the freqency of showing up and the picture books where they appeared. From the above, the cultivars listed in ‘Seikohfu’ are presumed.