Random Fact of The Week 9/12

I’ve been on a bit of a visual kick lately, so I figured I’d continue that theme. The combs that senior maiko wear during the summer are known as Itomaki Kushi (糸巻櫛). Itomaki means “Spool of Thread” and the design is made by weaving silver threads in and around the comb like how you would weave silk around a bobbin.  Traditional silk bobbins are square shaped and not the round like the ones we use in the West. The motif of itomaki can be found on both January and minarai kanzashi.