Category Archives: Japanese Hair Comb

Crane and tortoise, two major Japanese symbols

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Par Creative Museum

Au Japon, deux figures animales associées reviennent très souvent comme motif décoratif. Il s’agit de la grue et de la tortue.

De nombreux kanzashi en sont ornés mais on les retrouve aussi sur les miroirs, les broderies des kimonos ou des ‘fukusa’ (carré de soie pour envelopper un cadeau) et sur beaucoup d’autres accessoires.

La Grue et la Tortue représentent les deux aspects complémentaires et radicalement opposés de l’univers : l’oiseau est le symbole de la liberté dans le ciel et du détachement de l’esprit face aux événements de la vie ; la tortue est le symbole de l’attachement à la terre et de la stabilité du monde.

On peut se demander pourquoi un manteau d’algues est toujours accroché à sa queue. Cela s’explique par une très ancienne légende qui raconte qu’une tortue, Minogamé, vit depuis 10 000 ans au fond des eaux, traînant derrière elle un lourd écheveau d’algues fixé à sa carapace.

Par ailleurs la grue tout comme la tortue vivent très longtemps, De ce fait, elles symbolisent ensemble la longévité et le bonheur et sont donc souvent représentées sur les kanzashi de mariage.

Please see comment #2 for the English translation.

Huge silver kanzashi (13 ins) with the two symbols of longevity and happiness

Close up showing the tortoise Minogame and its seaweed back.

Japanese ‘Fukusa’ featuring the traditional crane and tortoise

Minogamé drags algae on his tail under the sea

Silver Kanzashi

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The kanzashi’s original purpose was a charm against evil spirits. The tradition began as early as 1000 BC to 300 AD, in Japan’s Jomon Era. Decorating them with flowers invited deities. The art captured the Japanese cultural imagination in the Edo era (1603 – 1867), when criminal activity increased. This initiated laws that prohibited people from going out in hats or head coverings, so hairdressing once again came to the forefront of Japanese fashion.

There are many different kinds of kanzashi:

  • Mimikaki: an ear pick on the end.
  • Tama: decorated with a single coral or jade ball. However now, many materials are used.
  • Hirauchi: a flat silver circle decorated with flowers or symbols
  • Hana: strings of dangling flowers, worn by geishas
  • Bira Bira: fans with long dangling chains, which have ornaments at the bottom

The most interesting ones have unique elements, either as a single decoration or a set of concepts. I’d like to feature three today, one each, from my collection, The Miriam Slater Collection, and The Creative Museum.

My bridal kanzashi is decorated with Mino-Kame — a straw raincoat, which used to be worn before the invention of textiles; a tortoise and pine boughs for longevity; a scroll of wisdom; a treasure box; and flowers, indicating nobility.

Miriam’s kanzashi is unique. A man with a fishing pole sits on a curved leaf structure, surrounded by dangling chains.

Finally, the Creative Museum has one I absolutely love: a gold fish, whose face looks almost human.

Poetry and symbolism in Japanese kanzashi

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By Miriam Slater:

The Japanese over the centuries have distinguished themselves by their cultivation of humor, fine design and poetry within their art. In fact, these qualities are what originally attracted me to kanzashi. As an artist I found myself entranced by the variety of expression within these beautifully crafted pieces.

Metaphors and symbols are commonly seen in Japanese hair ornaments. For example, in the top image, a silver hair ornament depicts a clamshell, a symbol that can also suggest a woman in the Floating World. When opened up, to the viewer’s surprise, in the shell is a small gold crab, pinchers ready!

The second ornament (of a similar theme) features a closed clamshell and a knife used to pry open clams. The clam’s moveable parts will open to reveal the prize within, a pearl. Symbolic objects are frequently seen on kanzashi which enhance the expression and meaning of each piece. The tortoise comb with a fishing rod can be seen as a metaphor for flirting and courtship with its implied hooking and the reeling in of one’s “catch”.

The crow, a common bird that is noisy and known for its bad manners, graces a red lacquer hair comb as an elegant adornment for a woman of position and beauty. The juxtaposition of what is considered ugly played with utmost beauty reflects the poetic side of the Japanese culture. So, to thoroughly enjoy and understand  kanzashi, it really helps to see them not only as finely crafted functional objects, but also as works of art imbued with more subtle meanings.

 

 

Ebay Dealer Mistakes

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There have been many lovely combs on the American, British, and French E-bay sites. However, some dealers misidentify their comb’s country of origin. Here are two examples. Please see item #130476761205.

The hairpin is stunning, condition excellent, no arguments that it would be a wonderful piece for any collection. There’s only one problem. It’s a Chinese gold-filigree ornament from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). According to research from the Creative Museum, “During the Qing Dynasty, many jewels were made ​​of gold-wire filigree. (See book “Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series” published by Beijing Publishing House, page 221 – ISBN: 7-200-04899-2)” Here is a picture of their Qing hairpin:

The second misidentified comb did not sell. Please see item #160568156596.

Another lovely piece, but again, it’s not Japanese. It’s from the Punjab Region of Pakistan. The Creative Museum has a gorgeous one with beads, pearls, wood indentations, and a fish theme.

This kanzashi IS Japanese. It’s gorgeous. Please refer to item #280637283941. It’s going for $725, but the seller is accepting offers.

Edo Comb Set on Ebay

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There is a lovely silver framed Edo set selling on Ebay for $1250. Using studs to attach the floral decoration to the kushi’s silver frame, the artist punctuates it with coral beads. The dealer dates the set as 1900 – 1920.

Here is why I am doubting his dates.

1. The size of the silver frame in relation to the comb looks Edo to me.

2. The comb itself is tortoiseshell, while the frame is silver.

3. The tortoiseshell comb has bug bites, a sign of age.

4. The floral design is attached to the comb instead of being cut out of one piece.

5. The cutting in the middle of the kogai stick is a line in the middle of two hearts, facing inward.

6. The kogai stick has the same decorative theme as the kushi. In modern pieces that mimic the Edo era, the kushi is usually accompanied by an oversized kanzashi, not a kogai stick.

7. Here is another silver Edo set that sold on ebay. In fact, I think it was my first blog post!

The full set selling on Ebay:

The kushi front and back, where you can see the floral design is attached.

A similar set from Miriam Slater’s collection. Notice the cutting of the line in between two hearts on the kogai.

A piece from my collection: this is Taisho. The silver design, comb and theme of flowers in water, are all carved out of one piece of silver, and adorned with gilded brass and black for color. My set is accompanied by a kanzashi, not a kogai.

What does everyone think? Am I seeing this comb set correctly? Agreements / Disagreements welcome.

Jessica Beauchemin and Miriam Slater

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I would like to welcome two new authors to our community blog.

An award-winning Canadian modern artist, Jessica Beauchemin creates balanced abstract wood sculptures, which I feel mirror the design sense of Alexander Calder.

Our second new author is Miriam Slater. We have had passionate conversations about Japanese hair ornaments for years, and she has put her collection online. When I saw what she had, I fainted. She will write about her own collection, as is proper, but as I have absolutely no emotional control, I must share three pieces. They are all Edo masterpieces, and I am sure Miriam will have more to say about her work in future posts.

Ivory Edo half-moon comb of plover birds sitting on a cherry tree branch, with blossoms.

Tortoiseshell Edo comb of three carp swimming in the water. The carving on the fish is so detailed, they almost have human expressions.

Do you see how the turtle is looking from underneath the water at the birds flying above? The artist achieves this metaphor by hooking the birds to the kushi with silver finials and coral beads. Brilliant.

Japanese dressing haircombs

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Par Creative Museum

La complexité et le raffinement de la culture japonaise se traduit, au niveau de la coiffure, par d’innombrables outils de coiffeur. Nous disons “outil” car le mot “peigne” serait trop restrictif. En effet, pour dresser, draper, nouer les longs cheveux des Japonaises, il faut être coiffeur, mais aussi sculpteur, couturier, parfumeur et décorateur !

Il n’existe pas moins de 200 pièces de bois destinées à cet usage, toutes de formes différentes ; chacune porte un nom particulier et concerne les nombreuses variations des coiffures de geishas, de théâtre kabuki ou même de lutteurs sumo.

Les artisans qui autrefois réalisaient ces peignes, râteaux, fourchettes, égaliseurs, lisseurs, etc, ont maintenant disparu. Les meilleurs d’entre eux ne pouvaient produire plus de trois pièces par jour et le buis qu’ils utilisaient devait sécher au moins deux ans avant d’être travaillé. Cette belle tradition n’a pas survécu à notre monde moderne. Les outils de coiffeur qui subsistent sont donc à conserver précieusement. On est subjugué par la modernité de leurs lignes que ne désavoueraient pas les plus grands créateurs d’aujourd’hui.

On dit qu’un objet est parfait quand on ne peut plus rien lui enlever, ni rien lui rajouter. C’est vraiment le cas ici.

A group of different shape boxwood combs


Two dressing combs with its similar doll combs


Hairdresser doing a traditional Japanese hairstyle

Kanzashi as Deadly Weapons

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Brass- or gold-plated metal kanzashi began to be made in the latter part of the Edo era, when hair styles became more complicated. Hair ornaments revealed a woman’s class, marital status, age, and if she had any children.

A woman could also use her kanzashi as a deadly weapon. Female ninja, or kunoichi, practiced ninjutsu, the martial art of guerrilla warfare. They used their kanzashi to rake the eyes of their victims while escaping. Or, they dipped them in poison to assassinate people. Fending off male attackers was another convenient function.

This gold-plated skull kanzashi subtly illustrates beauty’s deadly side. It currently resides in the Daruma Museum

Tokugawa Shogunate Tortoiseshell Wedding Set

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I have never seen a real tortoiseshell Japanese wedding set for sale. This one is not only the real thing, it comes in its original box, which has a family crest of three ivy leaves. This symbol was used on samurai flags and became popular after the 8th shogun of the Tokugawa family, who ruled the Edo era. Their trade policies isolated Japan and its art from the world. Earlier Tokugawa family crests used maple leaves. I am sure the price on this is high, but if you can afford it, I’d call this a buy. In this post I am including another hair comb with the maple-leaf logo of the Shogunate, which also sold on Trocadero.

To compare the logo on the box to the family crest on a hair comb:

Some Early Edo Masterpieces

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The Tokugawa Shogunate ruled Japan from 1637 to 1867. They closed the country to foreigners, and Japanese decorative arts remained a mystery to the Western World. Although porcelain continued to be exported, Japan did not come out of seclusion until the Meiji Era began in 1868. In the Paris Exposition of 1872, Western artists first saw early Edo combs. Japonisme began. Here are three early Edo masterpieces Paris artists might have seen. The style and shape of these combs gives the artist a large canvas, on which they paint one idea.

I believe this is a painted tortoiseshell comb of a tree branch extending over a lake. Insects are flying about. Where the artist reveals the tortoiseshell adds shadows to the insects. The fish painted on the tines represent the fish underneath the lake. Look at the shading blend from top to bottom. This is a masterpiece.

Edo artists painted on glass, too.