Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are among the most meaningful symbols in Japanese culture. Their extraordinary beauty is matched by their short lifespan, lasting only a few weeks before the flowers fall. For this reason, they represent the fragile and ephemeral nature of life, embodying both renewal and the acceptance of impermanence.

In Japanese tradition, cherry blossoms appear in art, poetry, and literature as symbols of beauty, purity, and moral integrity. They are also closely connected to the samurai and the code of bushido, representing courage, honor, and loyalty. Like the blossoms, the samurai embraced the idea that life is precious precisely because it can end at any moment.

The blooming of cherry trees is celebrated through Hanami, the Japanese tradition of admiring flowers. Every spring, families and friends gather beneath the trees to share food, music, and moments of connection, celebrating the beauty of nature and the passing of time.

A Japanese legend tells of a cherry tree unable to bloom until it was given a human heart and the chance to discover love. After meeting Sakura, a young woman who taught him the meaning of affection and hope, the tree finally blossomed, filling the world with pink flowers. Since then, cherry blossoms have also become a symbol of eternal love and the beauty of transformation.

Through the delicate colors and textures of Brown Paonazzetto, White Paonazzetto, and Burned Chalcedony, this mosaic captures the harmony between nature, memory, and the fleeting yet precious moments of life.

Stones used: Brown Paonazzetto, White Paonazzetto, Burned red Calcedony

Year of composition: 2024

Size: cm 39,5x62,5

Artist: Leonardo Scarpelli

An original and authentic hand-made artwork created whith the antique technique of Commesso Fiorentino which is unique for Florence.

Commesso Fiorentino was born with Medici family, one of the most important families in Florence, in the second half of 1500.

The research of the stones is made by the mosaicist that must be able to choose from a rich and wide range of shades and veins: for this reason the artists personally search and collect the stones retracing the paths of the Medici researchers.

The processing starts by drawing the subject on adhesive paper, that is then cut into small tamplates that will be attached to the variegated shades of the stones following the visual instinct, the innate gift of the artist and his perfect knowledge of the materials. The shape of the little piece will be cut by hand with a chestnut, cherry or hazelnut wood bow and an iron wire that flows with abrasive powder and water. It creates a very precise and inclined cut to form the essential spaces to accommodate the glue, made by artisans with beeswax and pine tree resin. The different stones are previously glued onto a slate surface which acts as a support during the cutting and filing phase. The various pieces which form the composition are adjusted in shape with diamond files, glued together so that the joints are invisible, flattened and finally polished in order to create a perfect decorative harmony showing the colors of nature in all their radiance.