# Asian characters - what does this say?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-characters-what-does-this-say/366558>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 29, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-characters-what-does-this-say/366558 "2006-07-29T17:52:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![joe\_joe\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/90db22/32.png) [@joe\_joe\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe_joe_monkey)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-characters-what-does-this-say/366558/1 "2006-07-29T17:52:10Z")

</div>

I received these wall hangings from my grandmother recently. I think she got them in Japan, but I’m not sure.

I was hoping someone might be able to tell me what language it is, and what it says. Thanks in advance if anyone has any clues!

[Hanging 1](http://www.hacten.us/gallery/sd/1.jpg)  
[Hanging 2](http://www.hacten.us/gallery/sd/2.jpg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-characters-what-does-this-say/366558/2 "2006-07-29T18:17:18Z")

</div>

It’s Chinese. Someone will be along shortly who can translate. The most I can make out is that the 3rd character in the second picture loks like “gold[en]”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-characters-what-does-this-say/366558/3 "2006-07-29T21:24:11Z")

</div>

My guess (based upon knowledge of Japanese, not Chinese) is that they’re seasonal flowers. There are likely 2 more in the set.

My guess at the characters are:

秋　金華 = Fall, “Golden Flower” (also a flower’s name in Japanese, but the flower doesn’t look anything like that represented in the hanging)

冬珍梅淀 = Winter, some kind of plum blossom.