Showing posts with label small things komono. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small things komono. Show all posts

2017/04/20

Nitohei Kagotani

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

@nitouhey_kagotani 二等兵籠谷 Nitohei Kagotani

二等兵展 Nitohei Exhibition in Tokyo -
「駄美術ミュージアム」 2017
With 5 Daruma art pieces

.......................................................................


現代美術二等兵 駄美術展 「Cheap sweets」
2010年6月4日(金)~6月27日(日)


source : shopbtf.com/at/tenran

.......................................................................


tenteki daruma 点滴だるま Daruma as an infusion

- look at the photo here:
- source : imgrum.org/media -

.......................................................................




スフィンクスだるま Sphinx Daruma


.......................................................................

「駄美術ミュージアム」


source : hephall.com/1489

こけしアレー Kokeshi

.......................................................................


ダルマ胸像 bust of Daruma - 2012


source : umeda.keizai.biz

「現代美術二等兵活動20周年記念 駄美術大博覧会」が始まった。
ダルマの首から下を表現した「ダルマ胸像」

.......................................................................



CLICK for more photos

. "Regent Daruma" リーゼントだるま .
by デザイナー: 現代美術二等兵
and
Gure Daruma in Black 黒ぐれダルマ


.......................................................................


美術界の駄菓子的な
アートユニット「現代美術二等兵」



- reference source : line.studioloupe.com/2014 -


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #daruma -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2010/02/09

Senkootate Incense holder

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

Senkootate - Daruma as an Incense Stick Holder
線香立てとだるま ― 香道散歩



This topic comprises various parts:

Koo お香 Incense - Introduction

Koogoo - Daruma as an Incense Container 香合とだるま

Kooro - Daruma as an Incense Burner  香炉とだるま


CLICK for more photos


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Let us venture into the world of incense.
Sometimes I feel the private use of incense in a home is the origin of all modern aromatherapy. To light an incense stick and a candle after a hectic day of work, listen to some soft music and taste some nice ricewine is a treat for all of your senses. It lifts your spirit on a higer level in no time and lets you enjoy the moment as a human BE-ING, not DO-ING for a while.

Incense in Japan has been introduced together with Buddhism in the 5th century and been used during religious ceremonies for a long time. It seems to purify the holy space of a temple and pacify the mind of the worshippers to enable them to get a glimpse (should I say: a whiff) of the Beyond. But maybe only in Japan has the use of incense been elevated to the "Way of the Incense" (koodoo 香道), next to the Way of Tea, the Way of the Flowers, the Way of the Bow and so many other Japanes WAYs of enriching life with a sence of
the true, good and beautiful (shinzenbi 真善美).

During the Heian period the use of incense turned into an elaborate "Fragrance Hobby" (gankoo 翫香) which brings us to the novel of Genji (Genji Monogatari 源氏物語) by Murasaki Shikibu 紫式部.

Read about incense and poetry :
source : www.japanese-incense.com/


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




In "The Book of Incense"
Kiyoko Morita introduces you to this "refined, highly nuanced art form intimately related to classical Japanese poetry and prose and dedicated to an enhanced appreciation of the sences." If you are ready for a new experience of the senses, follow the many hints of this lovely little book. In the foreword by Professor Edwin Cranston from Harvard University we read: "As in all matters of cultural appreciation, one needs to enter into the spirit of the thing. The fragrance of smoldering aromatic woods, each subtly different, makes it easy to do just that. Fragrances remind us of home - the garden, the embrace of scented sleeves, the memory of one who has passed away - and in this resides their true power." Maybe you want to light an incense stick before reading on, just as I always light one before sitting down at the desk pondering my Daruma stories.

The smell of incense can be very subtle and faint, so the act of concentrated smelling it is called "listening to incense" (monkoo, bunkoo 聞香) in Japanese.
Here is one explanation for this expression.

In the Buddha's world everything is fragrant like incense, including the words of Buddha. Fragrance and incense are synonymous, and Buddha's words of teaching are incense. Therefore Bodhisattvas listen to Buddha's words in the form of incense, instead of smelling them.
Reference : The Book of Incense


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 


Here is a quote form David Ollers HP about the practical use of incense sticks during Zazen practise.

"Commonly, most Buddhist teachers will say incense is not used as a psychotropic aid for meditation or religious practice, or a psychological-state altering vehicle to enlightenment. The vast majority of Buddhist monks would not prescribe incense for this purpose, and feel you should be able to meditate and achieve spiritual awakening regardless of the aromatic environment. Benefits the Zen monks may speak of are: incense helps keep the flies out of the Zendo, it prevents unwanted body odors from becoming a distraction, and that it is used as a clock or timer for sitting periods. And then they will tell you not to blink if a fly drinks the water from your eye, no odor should distract your meditation, and don't watch the clock since "Time is Being!"
http://www.japanese-incense.com/incense-sticks.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





                    
Different Kinds of Incense  
お香の種類
In an article by David Oller about incense making you find an introduction to many ingredients.
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/article/feature_articles/incense/incense.html
Nippon Koodoo (Nippon Kodo) 日本香道 also features some interesting information.
http://www.nipponkodo.co.jp/incense/material/index.html

Incense Ingredients
Breaking down the five elements and their Ayurvedic relationship to plants and common incense ingredients we find them falling into five classes. The following chart shows the relationship:
 1. Ether (Fruits)  Star Anise (daiuikyoo 大茴香)
 2. Water (Stems & Branches)
   Sandalwood (byakudan 白檀),  
   Aloeswood (jinkoo, jinko, chinkoo, jinsuikoo 沈香 kyara 伽羅),
   Cedarwood, Cassia (Chinese cinnamon, keihi 桂皮),
   Frankincense (Olibanum, nyuukoo 乳香),
   Myrrh(motsuyaku), Borneol (Bornean Camphor "Dragon's Brain" 龍脳)
 3. Earth (Roots)
   Turmeric(Kurkuma, ukon ウコン), Ginger, Costus Root, Valerian,
   Spikenard Indian (kanzoo 甘草)
 4. Fire (flower)  Clove(chooji 丁子)
 5. Air (leaves)  Patchouli (パチョリ、kakkoo カッコウ)

時代が中世に至って、香木の希少性は前代と変わらなかったものの、香料を混ぜて「薫物」として使うことにより衣服や装身具、日用品や家具に至るまで香を焚き込める風習が貴族社会の中で生まれ始めます。この頃から香木は、丁子(インドネシア産:フトモモ科の木の蕾)、麝香(チベット産:ジャコウジカの雄の性線)、乳香(エジプト産:ボスウェリア属の木の樹脂)、甲香(モザンビーク産:巻貝の貝殻)、龍脳(ボルネオ産:龍脳木の内部結晶)等とともに「練香(ねりこう)」としての文化を築き始めます。
http://plaza27.mbn.or.jp/~921/ganko/ganko.html

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Kyara - Aloeswood (Agarwood)
in six different flavours from six different regions (rikkoku 六国)
Kyara is one of the most desired incense ingredients in the entire world! This amazing substance has affected individuals throughout history so powerfully that in many Asian languages the term "Kyara" has been used to signify the finest of things. The most beautiful women in Japan are called Kyara Ladies, meaning that their beauty is rare and the finest possible, Kyara Clogs meant high-quality clogs and so on.

              
The most famous piece of Kyara is called "Ranjatai" and kept in the imperial storehouse Shoosooin (Shosoin 正倉院) on the grounds of the temple Toodai-ji in Nara. The white bands show where chips have been cut off as presents to high-ranking people like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the first Tokugawa Shoogun Ieyasu.
The other areas are Rakoku (羅国)、Manaka (真那賀), Manaban (真那蛮), Sumotara (寸門多羅) and Sasora (佐曽羅).
http://www.japanese-incense.com/aloeswood.htm
http://www.baieido.co.jp/okou/genryo.html
梅栄堂の日本語はこちら。
http://www.baieido.co.jp/

Sacred wood for incense
http://www.hikoshin.org/Incense/SACRED_WOODS/SACRED_WOOD_INDEX1.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Incense sticks, Joss sticks
(alternative spellings are senkoo, senko, senkou, senkoh 線香)
You get the best fragrance from a lit stick if you keep it 20 to 30 cm from your nose. The red spot where the stick is burning does not emit fragrance, rather it is the part of the stick a few milimeters below where the heat causes the fragrance to be released.
My favorite incense stick comes from the store Tenkun-Doo in Kamakura. It is the first on the list called 寿王.
私の大好きなお線香はこちらの寿王です。
http://www.tenkundo.co.jp/shop/body.html


In Japan we have some other interesting types of incense. I will introduce you to two of them.
Incense sticks with Sutras funkyookoo 焚経香
The Heart Sutra (Hanya Shinkyoo) or other sutras are written in tiny golden or silver Chinese characters on 20 incense sticks. The name of the temple where you get them is usually also written on them. The stick does not disintegrate during burning but keeps standing with the tiny letters of the sutra shining dark on the ashes. It is quite a treat to sit down quietly and watch one stick slowly turning into living ashes. If you look at the HP quoted below and touch the box of incense, you can see a picture of the stick after burning. These wonders of handycraft are made by Anshin-Doo 安心堂.

                   
焚経香の形状は直径2.5ミリ×145の香を20本整列させたもので、二百六十六文字におよぶ般 若心経まで鮮明に表記されています。2.4ミリの文字は正常な視力の方ならはっきり判読できます。
焚経香を焚くと、煙が大気に溶けるように消えてなくなる様はあたかも目に見えないもの(神、仏、ご先祖、自分の信じるもの)に自分の気を届けてくれるようなイメージがあります。
http://www.osenko.com/funkyou.html


Incense Sticks with Buddha Image and Name
butsugenkoo
佛現香

These sticks are almost five milimeters in diameter and you need a big container to stand them firmly. They are completely black with a light spot on the top side. You put them in the container with the spot facing you and sit back in quiet meditation for about 30 minutes. After the stick has burned down about 5 milimeters without disintegrating, the face of Amida Buddha is starting to appear on the white ash stick. Then as it burns down further the Chinese characters for the incantation of Amida, Namu Amida Butsu, start to appear in dark color on the stick. As the gentle smell fills the room you can visualize the benevolence of the Buddha as you watch its name appear fully. One stick which I burned about a month ago is still standing firmly.
御仏のお姿と聖号が現れる線香です。阿弥陀さんのお顔と南無釈迦牟尼佛という文字がゆっくり線香の灰に現れます。線香を観察し香りを楽しみながらとても神秘的な30分をすごす不思議な、癒しの線香です。


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

photos TBA

Its time to look at some incense stick holders with Daruma.

Here is one made of Bizen pottery and sold at local stores in Bizen City. He is only 2 cm high but his eyebrows are strongly modelled and he seems to watch the incense stick while it burns.
こちらは今備前市で売っているミニ線香たてです。備前焼のだるまさんの眉が大きくて、線香が燃えるのを見張っているような顔つきです。



This little fellow is made of Arita pottery. He comes with a little tray of white and red color. His face is painted in blue and he holds his arms forward to take the incense stick almost as if it was a sword to fight. He is 3.5 cm high.
このかわいらしいだるまは有田焼でできています。腕をまえに伸ばして、まるで剣道を棒を持つように線香を持っています。


  
This one comes with a heavy white tray and is quite heavy himself. His face is simple but quite expressive. He is 3 cm high and made by Nippon Craft.
こちらのだるまを先週近くの高島屋で買いました。白いお皿はすごく重くて、だるまも重いです。とても簡単な顔つきで力強いです。

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


source : www.butgu.com/shop

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


I

bright summer morning
the musty smell of jinko
still clings to your hair.

though not completely awake
last night rushes back at me

II

Mid July morning
a soft grey mist everywhere
hill and sky obscured

for forty years, behind me
now at sixty, my destination

III

cannot find the moon
yet luminous clouds tell me
that it's still up there

It would seem there're two, moons that is,
one veiled, another in my heart

Patrick Duffey, facebook

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Koo お香 Incense - Introduction

Koogoo - Daruma as an Incense Container 香合とだるま

Kooro - Daruma as an Incense Burner  香炉とだるま


. Incense in India ... HAIKU
Agarbatti



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

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

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2010/02/07

Fude pen

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

Pen 筆 Fude and Daruma

Fude Daruma 筆だるま
Daruma Fude だるま筆



Fude Daruma 筆だるま
Daruma with paintings of a pen on his belly



source : ichikawashop.com

This is a talisman doll for people to start making a career as calligraphers.



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Daruma Fude だるま筆 pen called "Daruma"

CLICK for more photos

The pens with a big belly for fat letters are DARUMA.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Kokeshi wooden dolls in the form of a pen




More kokeshi on a pen






Photos from my friend Ishino  


. Kokeshi, Wooden Dolls こけし  


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Daruma with a pen for a beard
kanban for a pen shop
Daruma Museum




. Kanban, Shop Signs, 看板 with Daruma


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


- quote -
Kumano fude 熊筆 brushes from Kumano, Hiroshima
Kumano cho is the capital of brushes, and produces 80% of the brushes made in Japan for painting, writing and cosmetics. However, none of the materials used to make the brushes come from Kumano. In other words, natural hairs of sheep, horse, itachi wolf, or raccoon are all imported from North America and China. Materials for brush handles are either from Okayama and Shimane prefectures, or imported from Taiwan and Korea.

Kumano has an interesting history for this successful industry.
A long time ago, the farmers used to buy brushes and ink from Nara and sell them to the locals in order to earn extra income after harvesting rice. The Hiroshima local government encouraged this activity and Kumano began making brushes eventually as well. Later, Japanese calligraphy was introduced as a school subject, and the increased demand for brushes brought stability to the industry in Kumano.

It normally takes 70 steps to create one brush. It is a manual process. It is said to take at least 10 years to be able to handle animal hairs properly and proficiently. The price of brushes varies: for example, one for a calligraphy class goes for about 1000 yen ($10). On the other hand, one used by a professional makeup artist or calligraphy artist will cost anywhere between several tens of thousands and 300,000 yen ($3-400 to $3,000). When Japan’s women soccer champions for the World Cup in Germany received the People’s Honor Award from the Japanese government, a Kumano make-up brush was presented to each player as a special gift.

The tips of the hand-made brushes are naturally uneven, which produces a nice and delicate contact with paper or one’s face, helping to create a superb finish. Therefore, Kumano brushes are very popular among many world-renowned make-up artists.
- - - - - 5-17-1 Nakamizo Kumanocho Aki-gun Hiroshima-ken
- source : japan-brand.jnto.go.jp/crafts -


Kumano Fude Matsuri 筆まつり(ふでまつり)
brush festival

Hiroshima prefecture, Kumano Town 熊野町




Fude Kuyo 筆供養 "memorial service for brushes"

Kumano is the greatest producer of brushes in Japan, more than 80% are made here. On the yearly event more than 1000 used brushes from professional writers are burned in a memorial sercice at the shrine Kitano Tenjin sha.
There is a stone arrangement with the "brush burning flame of eternity" and a lot of brushes hang in the compound between the trees.
During the festival people use large brushes to write their favorite calligraphy and demonstrations are held.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


This kind of service is also held at other temples and Tenmangu shrines of Japan.
道明寺天満宮筆まつり

. Reference

In Kumano they celebrate
haru no fude no hi 春の筆の日 Day of the Brush in spring
day of the spring equinox



.................................................................................


. Hiroshima Prefecture Festivals  

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


ningyoofude, ningyoo fude 人形筆 pen dolls



from Airma onsen 有馬温泉 Arima hot spring

Arima is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, even Hideyoshi used to come there.
The dolls also have a long history and are mentioned already in a travel book of 1682. There used to be five families producing them till the Taisho period, but now only one has remained.

The body of the pen is decorated with colorful silk thread in various patterns. Some of the patterns have auspicious meanings to ward off evil. Some patterns are suited as a present, for example for a wedding.



On the end of the bamboo shaft it a little doll, sometimes resembling a Daruma san, which pops out and seems to dance when using the pen for writing. When the pen is laid on the table, the doll disappears. This is a kind of "mechanical doll" (karakuri ningyoo).

. Folk Toys from Hyogo .



有馬には人形筆の初しぐれ  
Arima ni wa ningyoo fude no hatsu shigure

at Arima
there is the first sleet  
on the pen dolls 


Suzuki Isuzu 鈴木五鈴
source : karasuyama


Arima fude 有馬筆 pens from Arima
komochi fude 子持ち筆 pens with a child




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Dying Trade of Yamato

The Hankeidou Workshop (攀桂堂, Hankeidō)
Shiga prefecture (滋賀県).

The Hankeidou workshop is renowned for manufacturing traditional Japanese brushes, known generally as unpei fude (雲平筆), a tradition started by Fujino Unpei (藤野雲平) some 400 years ago during the Genna Era (元和年間, 1615 – 1624).

source : beyond-calligraphy.com




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

HAIKU and SENRYU


humanity kigo for the New Year

fude hajime 筆始(ふではじめ)first use of the brush
..... shihitsu 試筆(しひつ), shigoo 試毫(しごう)
shikan 試簡(しかん), shimen 試免(しめん)
shiei 試穎(しえい), shiko 試觚(しこ)
shishun 試春(ししゅん)"first calligraphy in spring"

hatsu suzuri 初硯(はつすずり)first use of the ink stone


. Calligraphy and Kigo  

.................................................................................


taking the brush
365 days
first calligraphy

Gabi Greve


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


露凍てて筆に汲み干す清水かな
tsuyu itete fude ni kumihosu shimizu kana / hitsu ni

The moss pure spring

beginning to melt,
I soak it dry with my brush:
the pure water spring

source : Tr. Barnhill

winter of 1687 貞亨4年. Oi no Kobumi 笈の小文
Written at a haikai meeting at Nagoya 名古屋昌圭亭.
Some sources link this to the pure water of a spring in Yoshino.


dew is freezing
and with my brush I soak up
this pure water . . .

Tr. Gabi Greve

This hokku has the cut marker KANA at the end of line 3.

Basho stepping out into the garden after a very cold winter night, trying to pick up some dew from the leaves and write a hokku with it.

This is written in memory of Saigyo:

とくとくと落つる岩間の苔清水
汲み干すほどもなき住まひかな

tokotoku to otsuru iwama no koke shimizu
kumihosu hodo mo naki sumai kana

Trickling down,
pure spring water falls
over the mossy rocks,
not enough to draw up
for this hermit life.

Tr. Barnhill


Another version is

凍て解けて筆に汲み干す清水哉
ite tokete hitsu ni kumihosu shimizu kana
. ite tokete fude ni kumihosu shimizu kana .


.  Basho and Saigyo 芭蕉と西行法師 .

. . . . .


大津絵の筆のはじめは何仏
Ootsu e no fude no hajime wa nani botoke

. the first brush stroke
for an Otsu-E painting -
which Buddha will it be ? .



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


fude nagete tsuki ni mono iu bakari nari


I throw my brush away -
from now on I speak only
to the moon


. Koha (Kooha) 香波


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


mannenhitsu 万年筆 fountain pen

from Old Imari pottery kilns



古伊万里風楼閣桜図 万年筆
黄緑彩兜唐草 万年筆
染付章魚唐草濃 万年筆

- Shared by Ken Ichihashi, facebook -

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

fudeya 筆屋 brush maker


source : novelty3355.jugem.jp

wooden shop sign of a brush maker 木製筆屋の看板
From professional painters to official letter writers to bookkeepers to children at Terakoya schools . . . everyone needed a pen to write in the Edo period.
When a pen was made, the brush maker licked it in a final test of its finishing.
Therefore we have the following Senryu :

奥様は筆屋が唾をなめ給う
okusama wa fudeya no tsuba o nametamau

the housewife
licks the spittle
of the brush maker


.......................................................................

- quote
Edo Fude 江戸筆 Handmade Calligraphy Brushes

Traditional Technologies and Techniques
1- Hair for calligraphy brushes is chosen based on the intended brush type and the length of the brush tip. The craftsman relies on instincts developed over many years of brush making.
2- Removing defective strands of hair is part of the tip-formation process. The tip represents the most important part of a calligraphy brush. A metal comb is used to comb through the strands of hair and align them accordingly, and strands without proper tips as well as those that are incorrectly oriented are removed from the clump.
3- The tip is formed by arranging strands into clumps for the very end of the tip (inochige 命毛), the middle portion of the tip (nodoge 喉毛) and the base portion of the tip (koshige 腰毛). One brush's worth of hairs is then taken from each of these clumps to make a tip. Advanced skills are required to both ensure balanced spacing between the hairs and to also achieve an elegant brush-tip shape.
4- Nerimaze 練りまぜ is a process carried out to achieve an evenly distributed mix of differing strand lengths, and it makes a major contribution to determining the final quality of the brush tip.
5- Shintate 芯立て is the formation of the final brush-tip shape using a ring-shaped implement. The craftsman feels the tip by hand to check its firmness and resilience, etc. The volume of hair used in the brush tip may be adjusted accordingly in response to how the tip feels.

■ Traditionally Used Raw Materials
-- Brush Tip - goat hair, horse hair, pig hair, raccoon dog hair, weasel hair, cat hair, and other varieties.
穂―山羊毛・馬毛・豚毛・たぬき毛・いたち毛・猫毛ほか
-- Brush Handle - Bamboo, wood 軸―竹・木

History and Characteristics
Concerning the "calligraphy brush," one of the "Four Treasures of Study" within the Chinese classical canon, in the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) it is recorded that in March of the 18th year of the reign of the Empress Suiko (610); "the methods of making paper and ink were brought about" by the Buddhist priest Damjing. This reference indicates that Damjing was a pioneer figure with respect to the arrival in Japan of writing implements in the form of calligraphy brushes, ink and ink stones.

Since then, there have been numerous advances and improvements made in production technologies as calligraphy brushes (and the written word that accompanied them) became key implements in Japan's cultural and traditional development, with many different types of brush produced for different purposes.

Around the middle of the Edo Period, along with the rise to prominence of the commercial class, Edo witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of "temple schools". In that the general population also began to write, calligraphy brushes came to be widely used among the masses. Furthermore, a number of classic Edo Fude (handmade calligraphy brushes) were born around this time as production technologies employed by craftsmen developed even further. The dominant production method in Edo was called nerimazeho 練りまぜ法 (literally "the mixing method"), and its processes were established by Hosoi Kotaku (1658-1736) in the Genroku Era (1688-1704). This method of manufacture went on to spread quickly due to the new national education system that was promulgated in the fifth year of the Meiji Era (1872).

Due to the combined calamities of the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and the Pacific War (1941-1945) many calligraphy brush craftsmen left Tokyo. However, those who were left focused both on the production of high-end calligraphy brushes, and on working to keep the relevant technologies and techniques alive.

Goat hair, horse hair, pig hair, raccoon dog hair, weasel hair and cat hair are but some of the materials used to make the tips of calligraphy brushes. In many cases the hair of goats native to China is used, with the hair grown below the nape of the neck in the vicinity of the upper forequarters being considered the best quality and thus highly prized. When making a calligraphy brush, in forming the tip which is said to represent the most important part, a metal comb is used to comb through the hair strands and align them accordingly, with strands without proper tips as well as those that are incorrectly oriented being removed. Shaping is the process of forming the brush tip, and advanced skills are required to ensure balanced spacing between the hairs and to also achieve an elegant shape.
Nerimaze is the process of taking strands of different lengths and mixing them evenly. This process plays a major role in determining the final quality of the brush tip. Shintate is formation of the final shape of the tip using a ring-shaped implement. The craftsman feels the tip by hand to check its firmness and resilience, etc. The volume of hair used in the brush tip may be adjusted accordingly in response to how the tip feels.

Tokyo Stationary Industrial Association
- source : www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.jp - 32 -

.......................................................................

- quote -
Tokyo Teue Brush 東京手植ブラシ Handmade Brushes, "western brushes"
Traditional Technologies and Techniques
01 Processing of base wood:
The base wood is cut and planed down.
02 Marking:
A template is placed over the wooden base of the brush and the bristle insertion positions are marked out using ink.
03 Creation of bristle holes:
Bristle holes are made at the points marked in ink on the base wood.
04 Bristle cutting:
The bristles are cut to a specific length.
05 Bristle mixing:
Bristles are mixed by hand so that the (soft) tips and (hard) roots are aligned identically.
06 Sorting by hand:
Short bristles, bristles with irregular shapes and other problematic strands are removed.
07 Bristle insertion:
Predetermined clump quantities of bristles are picked out precisely and folded in two, and a metal wire is passed through and drawn along the center of the wood to pull the bristles firmly down into the bristle holes.
08 Cover attachment:
A thin, wooden cover piece is attached to hide the metal wires and make the product easier to use.
09 Base wood finishing:
① The size of the main body and attached cover are made uniform and the physical feel of the product when held is improved.
② Grooves are added to the side portions to make the product easier to hold.
10 Bristle trimming:
The bristle tips are trimmed to achieve a uniform, predetermined bristle length throughout.
11 Finishing:
The product's surfaces are painted uniformly.

Traditionally Used Raw Materials
- Bristles: 刈萱 Karukaya, Palm, Cedar, Tampico, fern, horse hair, pig hair, goat hair.
- Base wood: Katsura, Magnolia, Cherry, Japanese Beech, Bamboo

History and Characteristics
Brush production (of so-called "western brushes") commenced in Japan around the 7th year of the Meiji Era (1874). At the time, brushes made in France were used as product examples. In the 10th year of the Meiji Era (1877), the First National Industrial Exhibition was held at Ueno Park, with a display of western-style brushes being very well-received. Following on, craftsmen who had traditionally made Japanese brushes began to get involved in the manufacture of western brushes. Production started off with horse hair being used for bristles, oak being used for timber, and bristle holes being made using hand gimlets.

In Meiji 21 (1888), Japan's first brush manufacturing company was established by Matsumoto Jutaro (1844-1914), who was at the time a director of the Dai Hyakusanju Bank (the National 130th Bank). Due to numerous improvements, what resulted was a penetration of brushes into society in much the same way as can be witnessed today. The brush manufacturing industry developed focusing on Tokyo and Osaka. As new machinery was introduced to industries, it came to pass that there were a great variety of brushes used for industrial purposes in workplaces. Moreover, as Japanese home life became increasingly westernized, demand for household brushes increased. Accordingly, in locations such as Wakayama Prefecture, brush manufacturing companies introduced large-capacity machinery and mass production commenced. Later on, in factories in Osaka and Wakayama, even greater industrialization steps were taken. In Tokyo by contrast, a city that had started out with many businesses engaged in producing industrial-purpose brushes, highly-durable brushes whose bristles were hand-inserted were developed.

Because hand-inserted bristles in such brushes run together in that they are all pulled down by an internal metal wire called a "pulling string," they are more robust than bristles in machine-made brushes because with machine-made brushes bristles are directly inserted into each individual hole (and they are not secured by a "pulling string"). It is for this reason that Tokyo's brush manufacturers continue the traditional practice of inserting brush bristles by hand.

Tokyo Brush Manufacturing Association
- reference source : sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.jp - 38 -

.......................................................................

. shokunin - Edo craftsmen 江戸の職人 .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
- #fudebrush #kumanofude -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2009/09/16

Ukiwa swim ring

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Swim ring (ukiwa 浮き輪 )

This one is big enough for grown-ups, it is 100 cm wide and comes with a long rope.




The whole package

Photo from my friend Ishino.



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Daruma Museum

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2009/08/20

Nioibukuro Sachet

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

Fragrance bag 匂い袋 Duftbeutel, Sachet, sache
nioi fukuro にほひ袋

Original from .. kimonofukushima.com
© PHOTO : kimonofukushima.com


Read this first
Koo お香 <> Incense and Daruma


These small bags are filled with fragrant wood chips, clover chips or dried flowers or other fragrant items. You can put them in the sleve of a kimono to smell well or in your handbag. They are made from colorful brocade and come with a string to hang them.
Many traditional housewifes use three of them in each box with their kimonos, as preservatives to keep off the insects. When you wear a traditional Kimono, you usually do not use Western perfume, but the smell from the sachet is enough to make the kimono smell. You can also wear one more in the sleeve or hang it from the belt.


In Kyoto there is a special traditional shop 石黒香舗 Ishiguro Koohoo selling only these bags. You can choose your own pattern and the owner will fill it with a choice of your favorite fragrance. Usually 10 different ingredients are mixed in one sachet.
If you hang a bag on your handy, you can smell while you talk.


. . . CLICK here for Photos 石黒香舗 in 京都!


. . . CLICK here for Photos of Matsuei-Do in Kyoto!


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


匂袋 姫だるま (紫花)
Princess Daruma

source : yamadamatsu.shop-pro.jp


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





source : www.kaori-jin.jp


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


H A I K U

kigo for all summer


CLICK for more photos

kakekoo 掛香 かけこう "hanging fragrance"
..... nioibukuro 匂袋(においぶくろ)fragrance bag
tagasode 誰袖(たがそで) fragrance to put in the sleeves (of a kimono)

In summer, fragrance satchets are hang on the walls to ward off evil influence and bad smell.





kunoekoo, ku no e koo 薫衣香 くのえこう
fragrance for summer robes

..... kunuekoo くぬえこう
..... kune koo 薫衣香(くんえこう)
..... hyakubo koo 百歩香(ひゃっぽこう)"100 steps incense"
kokuhoo (kuroboo) 黒方(こくほう) "black incense"


. Fragrance and Kigo  


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


病状の匂袋や浅き春

byoojoo no nioibukuro ya asaki haru

the fragrance bag
on my sick bed -
spring just beginning

Tr. Gabi Greve

der Duftbeutel
auf meinem Krankenbett -
Frühlingsbeginn



. WKD - Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


CLICK for more nihoi bukuro
. . . CLICK here for more SACHET Photos !


Koo, o-koo  お香 <> Incense and Daruma


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

2009/08/13

Furoshiki Cotton wrappers

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

Cotton wrappers (furoshiki)

A piece of cotton cloth to wrap things, one of the most practical inventions.
They come in many shapes and decorations and are always a welcome present.






:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


A beckoning cat with Daruma




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Lines of small Daruma



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

quote
Furoshiki (風呂敷)
are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods. Although possibly dating back as far as the Nara period, the name, meaning "bath spread", derives from the Edo period practice of using them to bundle clothes while at the sentō (public baths;public furo).
Before becoming associated with public baths, furoshiki was known as hirazutsumi (平包), or flat folded bundle. Eventually, the furoshiki's usage extended to serve as a means for merchants to transport their wares or to protect and decorate a gift.

Modern furoshiki can be made of a variety of cloths, including silk, chirimen, cotton, rayon, and nylon. Furoshiki are often decorated with traditional designs or by shibori. There is no one set size for furoshiki, they can range from hand sized to larger than bed-sheets. The most common sizes are 45cm (17.7 inch) and 68-72cm (26.7-28.3 inch).

Although there are still furoshiki users in Japan, their numbers declined in the post-war period, in large part due to the proliferation of the plastic shopping bag. In recent years, it has seen a renewed interest as environmental protection became a concern. Furoshiki are, however, commonly used to wrap and transport lunch boxes (bento) and often double as a table mat for the lunch.

On March 6, 2006, the Japanese Minister of the Environment, Yuriko Koike, created a furoshiki cloth to promote its use in the modern world.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

How to use Furoshiki



Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan
source : www.env.go.jp/en/focus

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The most common pattern for Edo furoshiki:
. karakusa 唐草 / からくさ Karakusa art motives .
karakusa moyoo 唐草模様 Karakusa pattern. Karakusa arabesque
Chinesischen Arabesken und Rankenornamente


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


From Kenema



..........................................................................................





:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




King Daruma and the Big Furoshiki

http://ameblo.jp/036company/entry-10665709546.html


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Hankerchief ハンカチ hankachi



. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Click for many more bautiful souvenir furoshiki!
source : mingeijapan

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


gamakuchi, gamaguchi がま口 purse
lit. "mouth of a toad"









.............................................................................





. . . CLICK here for Photos !



NHK Bi no Tsubo - file267 「がま口」
美しいがま口は美しく響く it has to make a nice sound
歴史ががま口を包み込む There is the history of the maker
共に時を刻む Get old with it together!

source : www.nhk.or.jp/tsubo





. Purses from 畳の縁 tatami heri border brocade .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


CLICK for more samples with Ukiyo-E prints !

. Ukiyo-E and Edo Culture .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Japanese Reference


 WASHOKU
Furoshiki with Kyoto vegetable patterns



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

H A I K U


みんみんの峠を越えし風呂敷よ
minmin no tooge o koeshi furoshiki yo

I crossed the pass
with the minmin cicadas -
oh this furoshiki !


Kunitake Izayoi 国武十六夜
Tr. Gabi Greve


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


moon flower
I wrap my dreams
in furoshiki


Shared by Stella Pierides
Joys of Japan - Poetry

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





ginza memories
live in the linen drawer
furoshiki


Shared by Elaine Andre
Joys of Japan - Poetry


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Edo Patterns on Cotton

. fukusa 袱紗 small crape wrapper cloth .
for the tea ceremony


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
- #furoshiki -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::