also: しか
noun
paper flower
Only when written 紙花
General term for a flower made of paper, used in crafts or decorations.
子供たちは紙花を作って教室を飾った。
The children made paper flowers and decorated the classroom.
noun
funeral paper flower
Only when written 紙花
Specifically a decorative paper flower used in funeral rites or placed on the deceased.
葬儀で棺に紙花を手向けた。
At the funeral, they offered paper flowers on the coffin.
noun
paper tip (red-light district)
Only with reading かみばな
Archaic term for a piece of paper given as a gratuity in a red-light district, exchangeable for money later. Reading restricted to かみばな.
See also: 小菊
江戸時代、遊郭では紙花が心付けとして使われた。
In the Edo period, paper tips were used as gratuities in the pleasure quarters.
Archaic spelling specifically for the red-light district tip sense.
Compound of 紙 (kami, 'paper') and 花 (hana, 'flower'), with rendaku voicing to bana. The archaic tip sense derives from the practice of giving paper flowers as tokens of appreciation in Edo-period red-light districts.