Page 468 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

273
272
Juban kabuki costume with hiña dolls
and shell-matching game containers

Nineteenth century
Appliqués and silk and metallic
thread embroidery on silk satin
5
5
44.8 x 62.6 (i7 /s x 24 /s)
Tokyo National Museum
• Hiña dolls and the shell-matching
game described in the following
entries (cats. 273, 274) were the inspi-
ration for the decorative motifs on 467
this kabuki costume. This garment,
called a juban, belonged to Bando
Mitsue and is thought to have been
worn in A Maiden at Dôjô Temple
(Musume Dôjôji), a play that involved
a succession of instantaneous cos-
tume changes. The juban was worn
under another robe in kabuki dance
performances and would have only
been seen after the outer robe was
removed (see cat. 230). The hiña dolls
and shell-matching game containers 273 Since each side of the bivalve shells
appliquéd and embroidered on the Shell-matching game will match properly with only its
costume are not associated with the Eighteenth or early nineteenth century original mate, the game came to
kabuki play but are well-established Shells with color and gold pigment; be associated with marital fidelity.
auspicious designs. In the Heian lacquer on wood with makie Appropriately, during Edo times
period dolls in the form of flat paper 43-5 53 (i7 Vs x 2O /s) a shell-matching game was often
7
x
figures of young men and women Sendai City Museum, Miyagi included in the suite of lacquer
were used in purification rites. Indi- furniture that was part of the bridal
viduals would transfer all impurities • Shell matching (kai awase) was a trousseau of a daimyo lady. The
from themselves to the paper talis- popular parlor amusement of the black lacquer container here, in the
man by breathing on it and rubbing it Edo period, although it originated in standard octagonal shape, is deco-
over their body. The doll would then chambers of aristocratic ladies of rated with the auspicious motifs of
be tossed into a fire or flowing the Heian period. Each half of a shell plum, bamboo, and pine. JTC
stream, cleansing the person or their was decorated with an identical
family from all impurities. The shell- miniature painting based on a scene
matching game, also originating derived from Japanese classical liter-
in the Heian period, required finding ature. The Tale o/Genji and other
corresponding pairs based on the romances were the most common
scenes painted on the interiors of the sources of imagery. Some shells
shells. Recognizing the symbolism simply had decorative flower-and-bird
of a well-matched couple, samurai motifs; other shells were inscribed
and wealthy townspeople of the Edo with famous poems.
period often included shell-match-
ing game sets as part of a wedding A complete set comprised 360 shells.
trousseau. The hexagonal boxes The game is basically a test of mem-
on this garment are decorated with ory: one set of shell halves is placed
cranes, symbols of longevity, and face down on the floor, and as shells
detailed with braided silk cords and from the second set are removed face
tassels. SST up from the container, competitors
take turns inverting shells to see if
images match.