Afuhi 葵 -あふひ- —original jewelry

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TITLE icicle Afuhi 葵 -あふひ-
ITEM Necklace
MATERIAL K18YG
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Afuhi　葵　- あ ふ ひ –
どきどきする気持ち
ときめき
こみあげる想い
困惑
複雑な思い
晴れやかな笑顔
心待ちにしていた人と逢う　そんな誰かと逢う特別な日　“あ ふ ひ”
古くから和歌などに好まれて詠まれてきた “あふひ”。
“あふひ”の“ひ”は、生命力や神霊を指し、“ひ”に めぐり“あう”、“縁”が語源とされています。そして、その象徴として、“葵”が大切にされてきました。賀茂神社の神紋でもあり、葵祭で挿頭（かざし）に使われるのもこの二葉葵です。古歌にある“あふひ”は　“逢う日”と　掛詞になっていて、人々の切ない想いやときめきを今に伝えています。　
風薫る五月、二葉葵はハート型の葉の間に淡紅紫色の可愛らしい花を咲かせます。　
その昔から、めぐり逢う日を願って想いを託されてきたこの葉。この小さなハート型の葉に込められた、そういった様々な想いをジュエリーにかたどってみました。

A Fu Hi ― Hollyhock ―
Excitement,
Fast beating heart,
A surge of sentiment,
Embarrassment,
Complicated feelings, and
A bright smile
On that special day “A Fu Hi,”
When you meet the person you’ve been waiting for
Afuhi or hollyhock has often been seen in tanka through the ages.
The Japanese word hi in afuhi means power of life or sacred spirit. The original meaning of afuhi is, therefore, to encounter (afu or au) hi, or in other word, karma. Accordingly, the hollyhock plant (afuhi or aoi) has a significant meaning for Japanese people as a symbol of karma. Futaba aoi (double-leafed hollyhock) has been used as the Kamo Shrine’s crest, and it is also worn as hair ornaments by the participants in the traditional Aoi Festival. The word afuhi in old Japanese poems often incorporates the meaning of auhi (a day for meeting someone), representing even today the painful longing and the passion of the people of ancient times.
In the gentle breeze in May, pretty fuchsia pink flowers of futaba aoi come out among heart-shaped leaves. From ancient times these leaves have conveyed people’s wishes to see their loved ones. I have created jewelries to embody the various sentiments which people associate with these small heart-shaped leaves.