NYBG Kiku Placemats

The chrysanthemum ( kiku in Japanese) is treasured throughout Japan, where it has been cultivated and trained into exquisitely shaped displays for more than 1,500 years. The beautiful images on these placemats are from Kikka Meiji-sen, or Catalog of Select Chrysanthemums, a very rare nursery catalog illustrated with full-page color woodcuts and published in Tokyo in 1891 by Kanezumi Imai.

Sturdily made to last, the cork-backed placemats can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. The set comes in a custom box with silver foil stamping. An insert provides information on the original work from the Rare Book Collections of the Mertz Library here at the Garden.

Set of 4, each a different design. 16¾” x 11¼”