Lotus is a plant that sends its slender stem gracefully upward from beneath the water, opening a beautiful flower above the surface.

Although its roots are anchored in the mud, its flower quietly rises above the water.

And the lotus has another remarkable characteristic.

At night, its flower closes, and in the morning, it opens again.

This daily cycle was associated in ancient Egypt with the rising sun and the beginning of a new day.

The lotus came to be represented in various forms of art and decoration as a symbol of rebirth and renewal.

In ancient Egypt, the form of the lotus was incorporated into vessels, decorative objects, and works of art associated with temples.

It was not only the beauty of its appearance, but also the very act of opening again each morning, that evoked the renewal of life.

This beauty was eventually deeply carried into the art of East Asia.

In Chinese bird-and-flower painting, the lotus became an important subject, depicted not only through its flowers, but also through its leaves, the surface of the water, and the flowing lines of its stems.

In Japanese art as well, the lotus appears in a wide range of artistic expressions, including painting, calligraphy, and crafts.

Its beauty lies not only in the form of a single flower, but also in the way it rises from the mud to the surface of the water and opens anew each morning.

Within this image lies the vitality of life—the strength to welcome a new day again and again, even as our surroundings change.

From ancient times to the present.

Carrying different meanings across different cultures, the lotus continues to show us the beauty of blooming again.