Edo - the EDOPEDIA -: - - - Craftsman Artisan

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1/02/2022

gakubuchi picture frames

Painters, art dealers and art collectors: Our customers are giving the largest number of requests in the world.

Painters regard picture frames as part of own work and take pride in the completeness that they provide.
Whereas art dealers look to frames to add extra value to paintings, art collectors are interested in the integration of paintings with interior spaces. That is why there is no standard design for picture frames; no ready-made picture frame can meet a special or specific demand.
The craftsmen of Tokyo Gakubuchi (picture frames) listen to the requests of painters and art dealers, and create the best designs, sometimes based on consultation with the client.
In the picture frame manufacturing process that developed in the 19th century with the popularization of Western art, Sashimono (cabinetwork), sculpture, and coating craftsmen were separately involved.
In Tokyo Gakubuchi, these independent skills are brought together and applied in a continuous operation to produce frames that reflect various demands. Clients trust the craftsmen’s sense of beauty and their experience, including a method for matching the painting colors to the display space, in addition to a technique for creating a grainy texture through coating. Although a particular design may be copied for picture frames intended for printmaking, the craftsman places importance on his/her manual work in order to make each picture frame special.

Main Area : Taito Ward, Toshima Ward, Arakawa Ward

Raw material
Base woods for picture frames include Cedar, Cherry, Magnolia and other species with similar qualities.
A natural lacquer is used for lacquering processes.
Gold and silver leaf are used for gilding frames

Traditional Technologies and Techniques
For both 和額 wagaku (Japanese picture frames) and 洋額 yogaku (western picture frames), wedges and joints are used to strengthen the outer frame edges.
Japanese picture frames are finished using the following techniques:
① Painting: This involves the application of refined lacquer by hand.
② Gilding: This involves the application of gild over primary applications of lacquer.
③ Natural Finishes: This involves wax finishing over applications of polishing powder.
When engraving natural materials used in the manufacture of western picture frame facings, decorations are applied using female molds, while gilding is done over primary layers of lacquer.

History and Characteristics
Since ancient times in Japan there has been a love affair with folding-screen pictures used to adorn living spaces.
Among the ancient folding-screens still in existence, a prime example is the 鳥毛立女屏風 "Torige Ryujo no Byobu" (a six-panel folding screen of women dressed in the Tang style). It is held by the Shoso-in (the treasure house of the Todai-ji Temple in Nara).
In the administration of Ashikaga Yoshimasa (the 8th Shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate) during the Muromachi Period (approx. 1337-1573), splendid folding-screens became widespread. These works were set against backgrounds of gold.
During the blossoming of culture in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (approx. 1573-1603), 狩野永徳 Kano Eitoku produced the magnificent
唐獅子図屏風 "Karajishi" (the "Guardian Lions") folding screen.

Among other works, the Genroku Era (1688-1704) of the Edo Period saw the production of the wonderful
風神雷神図屏風 "Fujin Raijin-zu" ("Picture of Wind and Thunder Gods") by 俵屋宗達 Tawaraya Sotatsu.

Full-scale production of picture frames in Japan started in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) as the nation sought to adopt western (oil) painting techniques.
In response to instructions received from artists, cabinetmakers made wooden picture frames, sculptors of Buddhist statues engraved decorations on them, and lacquer craftsmen added a finish.
Specialized picture frame craftsman appeared in Japan in the 25th Year of the Meiji Era (1892). In that year, a lacquer craftsman called 長尾健吉 Nagao Kenkichi established Japan’s first picture frame factory on a small scale in Shiba Atagocho (in modern Minato Ward) at the behest of the oil painter 山本芳翠 Yamamoto Hosui who had returned from France.
In the picture framing business, 額装 “gakuso” is a term used to describe the placing of a picture in a frame (it means to literally “dress a picture”). This expression embodies the spirit of a framer in their desire to create frames that bring out the heart and soul of pictures painted by artists.
- source : Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs

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8/02/2020

cotton momen

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Edo shokunin　江戸の職人 Craftsmen of Edo .
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momen　木綿 cotton in the Edo period

. momen, wata 　木綿 cotton, Baumwolle - Introduction .
wata 綿 floss silk
momenbari 木綿針 sewing needle for cotton thread
itoguruma 糸車 a spinning wheel

- quote
Transition from Linens to Cottons
here were many wholesale textile merchants who purchased and sold cottons in Õdenma-chô (present day Nihonbashi in Chûô-ku), which were called "momen-dana" (literary means "cotton merchant").
It must be noted that the development of cotton industry transformed the fashion of Edo. The period saw the transition of one type of clothes to another on the streets, as the linens worn by the people in the past could no longer be seen so often in public and it was replaced almost completely with cottons. Cotton is strong as well as nice and soft when touching it, and besides competent for moisture alsorption. Moreover, as it can be dyed easily, the fabric began to be adopted for casual-style kimono called "hitoe" (literally means "single-layered clothing") such as yukata, as well as for other products such as a padded dressing gown (i.e. wataire), socks (i.e. tabi) and bedding.
Furthermore, unlike expensive silk, cotton was not a costly fabric, and thus, it soon became popular among the people and grew into absolutely necessary products.

Picture of Dye House from "Picture Book: Amusements of Edo" （Ehon Azuma Asobi Kouya no Zu) Compiled by Asakusa-an and painted by Katsushika Hokusai 1802 (Kyōwa 2)

This, however, can be said that it occurred as a result of the encouraging policies about making cottons of the Tokugawa Shogunate as well as of the local feudal domains across the country. Especially, both Kansai region and Tôkai region were famous for their cotton products. These cottons were transported from these regions to the city of Edo, and many towns consisting of wholesale cotton merchants were developed here and there in the city of Edo. One famous example of this is Õdenma-chô.
- source : Tokyo MET library

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. Doing Business in Edo　- 江戸の商売 .

source : 1000ya.isis.ne.jp...

takani momen uri 高荷木綿売り selling cotton
cotton cloth seller
He had the rolls of cloth piled up high for the customers to see it easily and make their choice. By putting up different patterns every day before walking the streets of Edo, the vendors could choose their customers.

Image by 松野霞城 Kajo Matsuno Kajo
- reference source : tobunken.go.jp/materials... -

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. Ōdenma-chō 大伝馬町 Odenmacho district　 .
The packhorse and messenger superintendent　馬込勘解由 Magome Kageyu from Mikawa (now Aichi) was the first to establish his business here. He welcomed Tokugawa Ieyasu in Edo and was given the privilege as superviser and head of the ward.
Many of his people from Mikawa made a living as horse keepers in Edo and made some extra money by dealing in cotton from Mikawa (momendana 木綿店). They lived mostly in the second district of Odenmacho.
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. Hirata momen kaido 平田の木綿街道 Hirata Cotton Road .

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. kenyaku 倹約 frugality, thrift - Sparsamkeit .
Yukuta robes from cotton were allowed, so the craftsmem made them with ever more elaborate patterns. Bright red and yellow colors were not allowed any more. so the craftsmen prepared
hyaku nezumi 百鼠 a hundred shades of gray so show their individual tastes.

. shitateya 仕立屋　/ 仕立て屋 tailor, seamstress .
futomonodana 太物(ふともの)店 sold "thick robes" made from cotton 木綿, in contrast to the Gofukuya, who often sold silk material 絹.
kiwataya 木綿店 cotton cloth dealers

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

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moohatsu 毛髪 Mohatsu, human hair // 糸車
Human hair has mysterious power. If it is hung on a tree, birds will not come close. In the ground it does not rot.
If someone is fleeing, if people put his hair on a spinning wheel and turn it left, this person will get lost and soon come back.

.................................................................................　Akita 秋田県
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鹿角市 Kazuno city // 糸車

kitsune 狐 fox
In the middle of the mountain forest, a fox shapeshiftes into a woman using a spinning wheel. If someone shoots with a gun, she will just laugh. In that case the hunter should aim at the spinning wheel, not the woman.

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .

.................................................................................　Ehime 愛媛県
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喜多郡 Kita district // 木綿針

. kooryuu 蛟龍 / 蛟竜 Koryu, a mythical dragon monster .

.................................................................................　Gifu 岐阜県
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大野郡 Ono district 丹生川村 Nyukawa village

doosai どうさい / ドウサイ / 蟇 Dosai Hikigaeru bull frog
Every night there came a beautiful woman to the mountain hut of the forest workers and used itoguruma 糸車 a spinning wheel to make 木綿糸 cotton thread. They were quite afraid and asked a hunter to shoot her.　The next morning there was a doosai bull frog dead on the ground, with a shot in one eye. It was about 100 cm long.

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Gifu 高山市 Takayama city 上宝町 Kamitakara town

iwana イワナ / 岩魚 bull trout
There is a river pool with a strong whirlpool, where the great master of the iwana bull trout lives.
There was a beautiful girl in the village and a handsome young man came to visit her regulary. But the mother of the girl was suspicious of the young man and made him eat 麦の焼き餅 mochi grilled with barley straw. Then she put a thread in her needle for cotton work and stuck it into the man. When she followed the cotton thread, she saw a large bull trout trying to swim in great pain. The bull trout asked the mother to forgive it and disappeared.

.................................................................................　Hyogo 兵庫県
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姫路市 Himeji city

ike no naka no wata 池中の綿 cotton threads in the pond
There was a small pond where a child had drowned and died. The villagers wanted to drain the pond and make fields out of it. When they had gotten all the water out of the pond, there were white connon threads at the bottom. There were so many that the villagers could sell these high-quality threads to other villages. The villagers became quite rich with this trade.

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Hyogo 神戸市 Kobe city

chi no ike jigoku 血の池地獄 the blood pond of hell
There is ritual near the 観音橋 Kannon bridge over the small river on the way to the 不動の瀧 Fudo Waterfall near 摩耶山 Maya san. Women who have died giving birth are supposed to fall into the blood pont of hell, but on this bridge they have put some white cotton cloths on sticks. People passing here can scoop some water and if the cloths make a hole to let the water through, the soul of the dead person will be saved and soon go to the Buddhist paradise.
. Maya san 摩耶山天上寺 Temple Tenjo-Ji .

. Waterfalles named "Fudo no Taki" 不動の滝 .

. chinoike 血ノ池 Chi-no-Ike - "The Blood Pond" .

.................................................................................　Ishikawa 石川県
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鳳至郡 Fugeshi district 門前町 Monzen town

choota mujina 長太ムジナ A badger named Chota
In the evening, walking on the narrow road from Minazuki toward Kamiozawa there is often the badger Chota coming out. He piles rocks on the road so that people can not pass. When travelers wander around the rocks their food will be stolen. The badger shape-shifts into a huge serpent or a monster and scares people. Once a man could feel the badger coming on and threw a stone at him. A man appeard and said "Let us have a fight!" "Let us compare the size of our kintama 金玉 "golden balls", testicles. (Badgers are famous for the size of their testicles.) They placed a furoshiki 木綿風呂敷 wraping cloth from cotton on the ground and the badger pulled out his testicles, in a hurry tearing them apart, so he fled back to the mountain. Since then he never appeared here.

. tanuki 狸 - mujina 狢－ racoon dog, badger legends .

.................................................................................　Iwate 岩手県
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. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
The warm winter robes wor working in the snow have a crotch of 黒木綿 black cotton. This should prevent serpents to sneek inside while the owner takes a nap.

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遠野市 Tono city 土淵町 Tsuchibuchi town // 糸車

. zashiki warashi 座敷童子 / ざしきわらし　girl spooks .
The zashiki warashi 座敷童子 girl spook at the home of 助十 Sukeju can make a noise like itoguruma 糸車 a spinning wheel turning. Nobody has ever seen this girl, but the sound can be heard day and night. Sometimes there is also the sound of someone walking in the room.

.................................................................................　Kagoshima 鹿児島県
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ittan momen 一反木綿 "one roll of cotton" Yokai monster
- quote -

"one bolt(反 tan) of cotton") are a yōkai monsters from Kōyama, Kimotsuki District, Kagosima Prefecture (now Kimotsuki. They are also called "ittan monme" or "ittan monmen.
According to the Ōsumi Kimotsukigun Hōgen Shū (大隅肝属郡方言集) jointly authored by the locally born educator, Nomura Denshi and the folkloricist Kunio Yanagita, at evening time, a cloth-like object about 1 tan in area (about 10.6 meters in length by 30 centimeters in width) would flutter around attack people.
They are said to wrap around people's necks and cover people's faces and suffocate people to death,[2][3][4][5] and in other tales it is said that wrapped cloths would spin around and around and quickly come flying, wrap around people's bodies, and take them away to the skies.
- more in the wikipedia

.................................................................................　Hokkaido 北海道
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登別市 Noboribetsu city 幌別町 Horobetsu

Things used for a funeral are not thought to be impure. Items made of cotten can be used to wrap around the body when going fishing.

.................................................................................　Kochi 高知県
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幡多郡 Hata district 大月町 Otsuki town // 糸車

. neko 猫 / ねこと伝説 Legends about cats, Katzen .
Once a murderer was loading his gun to shoot a girl in front of a cat. The cat hurried out, shapeshifted into the girl using a spinning wheel. However much the murderer shot at her, he did not hit her. The mother-in-law suggested to shoot at the spinning wheel instead and indeed, the cat died.
One should never load a gun in front of a cat.

.................................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県
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角田市 Kakuda city 東根 Higashine // 糸車

Kakuda no nana fushigi 東根の七不思議 The Seven Wonders of Kakuda
③ Number 3 - At the parking space of Kanomata hall there often appeared a monster with three eyes in the evening. It made the sound of someone turning itoguruma 糸車 a spinning wheel.

.................................................................................　Nagano 長野県
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木曽郡 Kiso district 上松町 Agematsu town

hebizuka 蛇塚 stone mound for a serpent
In 萩原の里 the hometown of Hagiwara there was a farmer’s home where three beautiful sisters lived. The youngest sister was especially beautiful and soon had a young lover, who came to her home every night. The other members of the house felt a bit strange about this man. One day they put a cotton thread in a sewing needle and stuck it into his robe. Later they followed the thread to 箱だたみの淵 the Hakodatami river pool. The young man was a serpent living there. The young man never came to the house again. The daughter got pregnant and had a child, which was a young serpent. The girl died soon after that. The family built a stone mound to pray for the serpent.
. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .

Lake Hakotatami / 箱だたみ池 Hakodatami

.................................................................................　Shimane 島根県
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出雲市 Izumo City 大塚町 Otsuka town

shiroi momen 白い木綿 white cotton
When someone has a problem with an itching eye, if it gets worse, one has to wrap a piece of white cotton three times around the leg of the side where the eye hurts, saying "I take you off when my eye is healed!"
When the eye is healed the cotton colth has to be cut off.

................................................................................. Saitama 埼玉県
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豊野村 Toyono village

momen boozu 木綿坊主 the cotton monk
The cotton monk comes in the fourth lunar month. This is the time for sowing cotton seeds, when people pray for a good harvest. Farmers prepare special mochi 餅 rice cakes and call out: "Please come to stay here!"
The number of the rice cakes must be 21 or 23.

................................................................................. Shiga 滋賀県
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伊香郡 Ika district 余呉町 Yogo town

ushi no toki mairi 丑のときまいり cursing ritual at the hour of the ox
People have to do this for seven nights, hitting a nail into a straw doll.
Once a man did this, wearing 白木綿 a white piece of cotton and two candles on a holder. He had the impression that invisible people were shouting at him in disgust.

. ushi no toki mairi 丑のときまいり to curse a person .

.................................................................................　Wakayama 和歌山県
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東牟婁郡 Higashimuro district 北山村 Kitayama village

. Kojoro 小女郎 the Tanuki prostitute .
Kojoro had been often going to the pond 船戸池 Funatoike to meet a man. Her parents put a needle with a cotton thread into her robes and followed her. The poor Kojoro threw herself into the pond and died and her man followed her. Near the pass there is a grave of both. Kojoro was a beauty with long black hair, but from the waist down she looked like same 鮫 a shark.

.................................................................................　Yamagata 山形県
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ito-tori ba 糸とり姥 the spinning old hag // 糸車
On the Eastern mountain of the village, farmers could often see an old hag near the fire turning 糸車 the itoguruma spinning wheel. They were quite afraid and asked a hunter to shoot her. He tried many times, but could not stop the sight. So the farmers asked him to shoot the fire, which he did with great doubts. When they looked, they found a lot of big and small coins on the ground. This might have been the money collected by 狸 the Tanuki, who was the old hag.
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最上郡 Mogami district 真室川町 Mamurogawa town// 糸車

banba 婆んば an old hag
It became dark, a strong lukewarm wind like a typhoon begun to blow and the mountain was rumbling. A hunter appeared and fired his gun at the mountain, where a female demon seemd to lurk. The villagers saw an old hag with white hair turning her spinning wheel. When the villagers followed the bloody track, they found a dead serpent in a hole in a tree.

.................................................................................　Yamaguchi 山口県
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阿武郡 Abu district 福栄村 Fukue village // 糸車

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .
A hunter made a shelf for his guns, but it was a bit to small and they say a monster would live there. Every night there was a strange light and they heard the sound of a spinning wheel turning. If he shot at the light, the bullet would not leave the gun. His friends advised him to shoot at the spinning wheel and the spook stopped.
It might have been the trick of a fox.

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Yamaguchi 防府市 Hofu city

. Tateishi Inari 立石稲荷 / 立石稲荷神社 .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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7/06/2016

inro pillbox

source :　tukubaskecth.tsukuba.ch

The famous inro of Mito Komon occupied by manekineko !

- quote
The term inrō derives from the Sino-Japanese roots in (from Middle Chinese 'jin 印 "printed") and rō ( 籠 "cage"). Because traditional Japanese robes lacked pockets, objects were often carried by hanging them from the obi, or sash, in containers known as sagemono (a Japanese generic term for a hanging object attached to a sash). Most sagemono were created for specialized contents, such as tobacco, pipes, writing brush and ink, but the type known as inrō was suitable for carrying anything small.

Consisting of a stack of tiny, nested boxes, inrō were most commonly used to carry identity seals and medicine. The stack of boxes is held together by a cord that is laced through cord runners down one side, under the bottom, and up the opposite side. The ends of the cord are secured to a netsuke, a kind of toggle that is passed between the sash and pants and then hooked over the top of the sash to suspend the inrō. An ojime, or bead, is provided on the cords between the inrō and netsuke to hold the boxes together. This bead is slid down the two suspension cords to the top of the inrō to hold the stack together while the inrō is worn, and slid up to the netsuke when the boxes need to be unstacked to access their contents. Inrō were made of a variety of materials, including wood, ivory, bone, and lacquer. Lacquer was also used to decorate inro made of other materials.

Inrō, like the ojime and netsuke they were associated with, evolved over time from strictly utilitarian articles into objects of high art and immense craftsmanship.
- source : MORE in the wikipedia

. zooge 象牙 ivory, Elfenbein .

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source : v

- quote -
The Edo samurai knew how to look sharp
‘The World of Edo Dandyism: From Swords to Inro”
at the Nezu Museum is a splendid collection of Edo Period (1603-1868) swords and sword accessories that includes blades, scabbards and metal fittings, as well as decorative sets of inrō (pill boxes) and netsuke (carved toggles). The exhibition looks back to a fascinating period of Edo history when prosperous samurai and merchants sought out the most stylish outfits and accessories that would establish them as refined men.
- snip -
The exhibition provides a glimpse of these unique characteristics of the Edo gentleman’s wardrobe. Visitors are first met with a dazzling display of swords, which is specially lit to allow close viewing of the blades’ fine metalwork, engraving and patterning.
- snip -
Another highlight of the exhibition is the collection of tsuba (sword guards), the metal fittings attached between hilts and sword blades to prevent the grip from slipping onto the blades.
- snip -

Perhaps the most famous accoutrements of the Edo gentleman, aside from his sword, were the inrō and netsuke. The inrō, a lacquered pill box small enough to fit into the palm of the hand, would be paired with a decorative netsuke toggle. On display at the exhibition is a beautiful 18th-century inrō stand that demands attention. A dizzying assortment of inrō hang from it, replicating how it would have originally looked in the gentleman’s home. Clearly the owner of this stand must have enjoyed displaying his prized inrō collection.
The spectacular inrō in this exhibition
include one by Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) that depicts the Chinese tale of “Zhong Kui the Demon Queller,” who, according to legend, was so powerful that he was able to capture a demon. The inrō, which has Zhong Kui standing victorious on one side and the demon on its reverse, is enclosed in a case the shape of a cage. The bamboo bars of the cage are made of mother of pearl and the rest of it is lacquered to have the appearance of rusted iron. When inside the case, the demon on the inrō is seen trapped behind bars. The artist’s playful spirit, skill of execution and ability to illustrate the narrative in such a clever manner make this a remarkable piece. ...
- source : japantimes.co.jp/culture - Yoko Haruhara -

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- quote -
Turtle-shell "Inro" pocket watch
Late Edo Period. Japanese-version of a portable compact watch in a casing resembling a pillbox.

The dial rotates to keep time. The case is made entirely of turtle shell and covered completely in lacquer. This splendid clock has a sundial and compass in the lid.
According to writing on the box, the clock belonged to Nariaki Tokugawa (whose posthumous name is Rekko) of the Mito domain.
(Machine height: 5.3 cm; width: 4.5 cm; thickness: 2.5 cm)
- source : jcwa.or.jp/en wadokei -

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inrooshi, inroo shi 印籠師 Inro maker

- reference : japanese-inro.jyuluck-do.com -

Inro were first used to store the
. inkan 印鑑 seal .
For medicine there were at least three different boxes to store different kinds of pills and drugs. To keep out moisture the aikuchi 合口 opening between two boxes had to be especially tight. This was one part of an Inro where the craftsman had to show his skill. The form of these boxes changed with time from simple containers to refined pieces of accessories for the rich.

Techniques used to decorate an Inro

chinkin 沈金 gold or silver inlay in scratch marks of laquer

. makie, maki-e 蒔絵 "sprinkled picture" .

nashiji, nashi ji 梨地 - Nashiji, also called Aventurine ...
The name nashiji is thought to have originated in the resemblance that the lacquer bears to the skin of a Japanese pear, 梨 nashi. ...
- source : global.britannica.com-

. raden 螺鈿 mother-of-pearl - inlay .

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source : torinakukoesu.cocolog-nifty.com

. Tôshûsai Sharaku 東洲斎写楽 (active 1794 - 1795).

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- - - long list of books about Inro and Netsuke
- source : www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~mystudy -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

ころもがへ印籠買ひに所化（しょげ）二人
koromogae inroo kai ni shoge futari
koromogae inroo kai ni shoke futari

For the new wardrobe
To buy a seal-case
Two monks have come!
Tr.Thomas McAuley

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .

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阿波踊腰の印籠地を擦れり
awa odori koshi no inro ji o kesuru

Awa Dance !
the pill box on his belt
rubs on the ground
Tr. Gabi Greve

Saitoo Inao 伊藤伊那男 Saito Inao (1949 - )

. WKD : 阿波踊り Awa odori dance .
- - kigo for autumn -
This is a special dance that originated in Tokushima (Shikoku) more than 400 years ago.
It is performed during the days of the Bon Festival (o-bon) in many parts of Japan nowadays. The Inro of many dancers have an extra-long string.

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印籠の蒔絵の金や夏羽織
inro no makie no kin ya natsubaori

gold decoration
on the lacquer of this Inro -
light summer robe

Nomura Kishuu 野村喜舟 Nomura Kishu (1886 - 1983)

. WKD : natsubaori 夏羽織 light summer coat.

CLICK for more Inro with Maki-e decoration !

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6/30/2016

kagami mirror

ekagami, e-kagami 柄鏡　mirror with a handle

. . . A mirror with one's family crest may signify the self assertion of the family or individual who used such a mirror. A mirror with a scenic motif, such as Mount Fuji and the pine grove of Miho or the eight views of Omi, may express one's desire to see these famous sights or to travel.

By the Edo period handles, often bound in rattan, were added to Japanese brass or bronze mirrors. The mirror discs also became larger to accommodate the increased size of ladies' hair arrangements. These types of mirror were known as e-kagami.
Perhaps it can be said that the motifs on handled mirrors truly reflected the heart of the Edoite!
- source : www.kyohaku.go.jp

- History of mirrors in Japan -
- reference -

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Mirrors were first introduced for religious rituals, but had been used by the aristocracy for combing and make-up since the Heian period.
In the Edo period, they became widely used by all people.

kagamishi 鏡師 mirror maker

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kagami migaki 鏡磨き /　kagami togi 鏡研ぎmirror polisher in Edo

Since the mirrors of the Edo period lost their shine very soon, it was necessary to polish them regularly.

source :cleanup.jp/life/edo/17

The bronze mirrors of the ladies of Edo had to be polished at least once a year. A good business time for the wayside craftsmen was in winter, toward the New Year.
They sat by the roadside, putting the mirror in front of them whilst polishing it. So they could see their own face all the time.

They were often the subject of senryu.

わが面で試みをする鏡とぎ
waga men de kokoromi o suru kagamitogi

using my own face
as a trial object
to polish this mirror

磨ぎたての鏡びっくり下女気絶
togitate no kagami bikkuri gejo kizetsu

looking into
the newly polished mirror
the servant faints

Maybe now she realized the great difference in her own "beauty" and that of here lovely lady.

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togishi 研ぎ師研師 polisher of mirrors, swords and blades
kenma 研磨 sword polishing

- quote -
Kenma - Japanese Sword Polishing
The basic 2 stages of Kenma ( Polishing ) are the Shitaji-Kenma ( Foundation polish ) and Shiage-Kenma ( Final polish ). The 3rd stage is the final, touch-up polish. Normally, the 9 Japanese polishing stones are used to complete the Kenma. .....
- - - - - Kenma procedures
1. Mine Kenma
2. Shinogi-ji Kenma
3. Hira-ji Kenma ( Flat area polish )
4. Yokote-suji-kiri ( Side line formation )
- - - - - Minor Polish
The minor polish can be done to the sword with scuff markings or the sword with Hike ( Scratch ).
- source : sfswordsociety -

- reference -

. Saeki Yataroo 佐柄木弥太郎 Saeki Yataro .
The official togimonoshi 砥物師 of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
He lived in a district named after him,
Kanda Saekichoo 神田佐柄木町　Kanda Saeki-cho, Kanda Saekicho

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- quote
Japan in the Edo Period - An Ecologically-Conscious Society
There were many other kinds of specialized craftsmen to repair broken items, including paper lanterns and locks, replenish vermilion inkpads, and refurbish old Japanese wooden footwear, mills and mirrors, to name a few. They supported a society where nothing was thrown away but everything was carefully repaired, and used until it could truly be used no more.
- source : Eisuke Ishikawa / JFS

. kagami ema 鏡絵馬 votive tablet as a mirror .
You can paint the part of your face that should improve its beauty.

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合わせ鏡のおひさ / Takashimaya no O-Hisa 高島屋おひさ

source : kanazawabunko.com

The rebus picture (hanji-e 判じ絵) :
田圃（た）TA、鹿島（かしま）KASHIMA 踊り手の尾（お）O に火（ひ）HI がつき、徳利と盃で酒（さ）SA で、
「たかしまおひさ」- Takashima Ohisa

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kagami o miru geisha 鏡を見る芸者

source : allposters.co.jp

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猫が鏡を覗いている cat peeking in the mirror

source : bumblebees.at.webry.info

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CLICK for many more photos !

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. Join the Ukiyo-E friends on facebook ! .

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. shinkyoo 神鏡 Shinkyo - "mirror of the kami", divine mirror .

The Imperial Regalia of Japan (三種の神器, Sanshu no Jingi / Mikusa no Kandakara), also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, consist of

the sword Kusanagi (草薙劍, Kusanagi no Tsurugi)),
the mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡), and
the jewel Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊曲玉).

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- quote -
Mirrors in history and mirror superstitions
... There is a Buddhist belief that negative spirits will enter houses through the door if they have triangular-shaped roofs. Hanging a small circular mirror in front of the door will prevent the bad spirits from entering.
In Japan, bronze mirrors (imported from China c.300AD) were associated with Amaterasu, sun goddess and imperial ancestor — who, at the dawn of time, ordered her grandson to descend from heaven to rule over Japan and gave him a sacred mirror providing him and his successors perpetual access to the divine sun.
Throughtout medieval Japan, mirrors were considered sacred objects—used not only in rarefied imperial ritual and display but also to ward off evil spirts and, when placed in Shinto shrines, to speak with the gods.
- source : japanesemythology.wordpress.com -

makyoo 魔鏡 Makyo, magic mirror
- quote -
..... In Japan, bronze mirrors are known as magic mirrors, or makkyo (魔鏡). One side is brightly polished, while an embossed design decorates the reverse side. Remarkably, when light is directed onto the face of the mirror, and reflected to a flat surface, an image magically appears (usually the one featured on its back). While the metal is completely solid, the reflected image gives the impression that it must be in some way translucent. For many centuries, the ‘magic’ of these mirrors baffled both laymen and scientists.
The currently accepted explanation for this phenomenon is that during its construction the mirror’s surface is scraped, scratched, and polished, then coated with an amalgram of mercury, thereby causing stresses and “preferential buckling” into convexities of a scale too small to be observed by the naked eye, but matching the pattern on the back of the mirror.

Kyoto Journal sat down with the man rumored to be the last remaining makkyo maker in the world — Yamamoto Akihisa — and his friend, Yoshida Hisashi. Mr. Akihisa is descended from a family of mirror makers based in Kyoto.
.....
My grandfather received a commission — from Kyoto University, if I recall correctly — to make a makkyo mirror. People wanted to know if it was possible to make makkyo in present times. My grandfather had been actively involved in crafting mirrors for Shinto shrines since even before the Meiji Restoration (1868), and he had a sample makkyo, so he was already familiar with the method, although he hadn’t attempted to reproduce one himself until then.
.....
- Read the rest of the interview here :
- source : kyotojournal.org/renewa -

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jigokudayuu jisu wa edi 「地獄太夫実ハ壊泥」the famous Geisha turned hell monster
IRON MAIDEN アイアン・メイデン

source : mag.japaaan.com/archives

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磨なをす鏡も清し雪の花
togi-naosu kagami mo kiyoshi yuki no hana

Polished anew
the holy mirror too is clear–
blossoms of snow
Tr. Shirane

Matsuo Basho　松尾芭蕉

. WKD : kagami 鏡 mirror .

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

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磨なをす鏡も清し雪の花
togi-naosu kagami mo kiyoshi yuki no hana

Polished anew
the holy mirror too is clear–
blossoms of snow
Tr. Shirane

Matsuo Basho　松尾芭蕉

. WKD : kagami 鏡 mirror .

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11/24/2015

Edo Yuzen Dyeing

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .
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Edo Yuuzen 江戸友禅 Edo Yuzen

- quote -
yuuzenzome　友禅染 "Yuzen-style Kimono dyeing."
A form of paste-resist dyeing with beautiful colors and pictorial designs. Itis named after the Kyoto fan painter 宮崎友禅 Miyazaki Yuzen, who is credited with perfecting the technique around 1700.
. yuuzenzome　友禅染 - "Yuzen-style dyeing" .
- Introduction -

- quote
Tokyo Tegaki Yuzen　東京手描き友禅友禅

Main Areas of Manufacture
Shinjuku Ward, Nerima Ward, Arakawa Ward

Traditional Technologies and Techniques
-- For Tokyo Tegaki Yuzen (hand-painted kimono), preliminary designs are sketched on textiles using an extract from spiderwort （青花 aobana, Asian dayflower), etc.
-- Resist dyeing is done by applying either dye-resistant pastes to textiles or by covering areas with wax.
-- Various types of brush are used for coloring and the painting of designs.
-- Crests are applied either by brush or by using paper cut-out stencils.
-- Embroidery is undertaken by hand.
1- 下絵は、青花等を用いて描く。
2- 防染は、糸目糊、白付け糊、堰（せき）出し糊、伏せ糊、又はろう（原文は「ろう」は漢字）描きによる。
3- 挿し及び描き染めは筆又は刷毛（はけ）を用いる。
4- 紋章上絵（もんしょううわえ）は、毛描き又は紋章彫刻をした型紙を用いる刷り込みによる。
5- 刺繍（ししゅう）は、手刺繍による。

Traditionally Used Raw Materials
Woven silk textiles - 絹織物

History and Characteristics
The origins of yuzen dyeing are said to lay in the Edo Period's Jokyo Era (1684-1687) during which there was an artist in Kyoto whose real name was Hioki Kiyochika 日置清親 (1650-1736). This person nevertheless used Miyazaki Yuzensai 宮崎友禅斎 as his professional name.

In 好色一代男 "The Life of an Amorous Man," a well-known work of fiction of the Edo Period by Ihara Saikaku (1642-1693), there is a woodblock print called "The Twenty Dyed Fan Yuzen," this title hints at the fact that Miyazaki Yuzensai was also known to be a painter of fans. One day, due to a request received from a drapery, Miyazaki painted a design that featured a pattern of family crests, and it subsequently became wildly popular. The pattern represented a departure from dyed goods up until then, with its popularity said to have stemmed from its use of color. Ogata Korin 尾形光琳 (1658-1716), one of the most well-known artists in Japanese history also tried his hand at yuzen techniques, and examples of his work remain with us today.

When Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) established the Edo Shogunate (1603-1868), many dyers and artists employed by daimyo (feudal lords) relocated from Kyoto to Edo. Various technologies and techniques were patronized, and this resulted in the creation of a wide variety of both woven textiles and dyed goods. That water was an integral part of dyeing processes also proved a very important factor. Thus, many dyers ended up living along the banks of the Kanda River.

A drapery called "Echigoya" 越後屋呉服店 opened in Nihonbashi (now known as the Mitsukoshi Department Store) in the first year of the Enpo Era (1673). It established a dye works further up the Kanda River around Tokyo Yamanote (close to modern Takadanobaba in Shinjuku Ward). Even today, the largest number of dye works in Tokyo is found in Shinjuku. Concerning Tokyo Tegaki Yuzen (hand-painted kimono), from development of conceptualizations, the sketching of preliminary designs, and until project completion, craftspeople carry out tasks as a continuous operation, each working individually. A feature of such kimono is that even within garments of a single color, there is a sense of beauty and elegance.

Tokyo Kogei Senshoku Cooperative Association
- source : sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.jp

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yuuzenzomeshi 友禅染師　artisan dyeing Yuzen cloths

Since the very expensive Kimonos made of stiching patterns with gold and silver thread and other kinds of high-class patterns were eventually forbidden in Edo, the craftsmen had to think of other methods to bring some "color" in the daily life of the citizens.

The process of Yusen-dyeing is quite complicated and soon specialists for each process came together in a workshop to share the work.
From painting the images, applying paste, adding color, steaming, drying,
washing in a river (yuuzen nagashi　友禅流し Yuzen nagashi
　. . . , drying again . . .

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. Kaga Yuzen 加賀友禅 from Ishikawa .

加賀友禅えがく百花や冬灯
Kaga yuuzen egaku hyakka ya fuyu tomoshi

Kaga Yuzen
painted with so many flowers -
winter lights
Tr. Gabi Greve

楠久子 Kusu Hisako

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行く秋や加賀友禅の小風呂敷
yuku aki ya Kaga yuuzen no koburoshiki

autumn has come to an end -
this small Furoshiki wrapper
from Kaga Yuzen
Tr. Gabi Greve

新田美智子 Nitta Michiko

CLICK for more Yuzen Furoshiki !

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加賀友禅筆より草の花生まる野崎ゆり香

しぐるるや加賀友禅の鏡掛中橋文子
人とその影加賀友禅を晒しをり石原八束
冬ざれの赤を散りばめ加賀友禅中山純子
冬川をたぐり寄せては布放つ(加賀友禅) 飴山實

春雨の加賀友禅の街にあり岩崎すゞ
短日や加賀友禅の先ぼかし新井佳津子
赤多き加賀友禅にしぐれ来る綾子

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