What’s In a Pocchiri? Part 5

Before we continue our epic adventure into pocchiri from around the gokagai we need to stop and take a look at the wonders of Kamishichiken!

Image courtesy of Stéphane Barbery. Materials: Carnelian, Jade, Clear Quartz, Ruby, and Silver Motifs: Mandarin Duck Owned By: Daimonji (大文字) in Kamishichiken What could be cuter than a duck!? On the outside they’re adorable birds that are commonly seen occupying the shores of riverbanks all year round, but looking deeper adds additional levels to its symbolism. Mandarin ducks are known to mate for life, so they’re common symbols of fidelity, especially when it comes to weddings. In the karyukai they symbolize the bond between geimaiko and their profession. The stylistic choices here are wonderful and hearken back to pre-World War II costume jewellery. Back then costume jewellery was made from very different materials, with the best from silver and slightly lower made with pot metal. Said pot metal was a nice way of saying that it was made from a mix of metals that are unknown, but are as strong as an old pot. They were often plated in rhodium to last longer, which mimics precious metals like silver but is incredibly durable and keeps a vibrant shine without any oxidization. Fake stones made to mimic real gemstones were the norm, but those mimicking moonstones were especially popular. I can’t say that I’ve seen a style choice like this in maiko pocchiri before, but it adds a bit of elegance that fuses Western and Japanese designs. Even though this mixes Western and Japanese materials, they are pretty easy to identify overall. The base and its waves are silver like most pocchiri and the duck is made from carnelian, which is a type of agate commonly used in Asia. They’re flanked by two pieces of jade that seem to be made to look like lily pads. Although the stones are meant to mimic the old stones that mimic moonstone, these are not actual moonstones! They’re far too clear and lack the blue sheen that real moonstones are known for. Since clear quartz is one of the sacred treasures, it only makes sense that they’d be used in place of foreign moonstones. Rubies that flank the quartz leaves on the branch may not be native to Japan, but they’ve been sourced from various places around Asia for millennia.  It’s quite the show stopper when seen on stage, like when worn by maiko Katsuna (勝奈) for Higashiyama Hanatōro here:

Image courtesy of Byzanceblue.

This is a bit of a teaser image for what’s to come from Anime North 2018, but I felt that it should be shown first as its idea and conception were something that wasn’t planned but turned out better than expected. We were given a mannequin to dress up as we saw fit, and thankfully I brought a few extra kimono or this wouldn’t have happened. I did this kitsuke that day with no prior planning, and this is the result of using what I had on me. The obijime is actually a maiko obijime, and the obidome is an antique belt buckle, although we have used it on stage for maiko kitsuke in the past. Besides that, this irotomesode is one of the newer pieces in my collection and features mandarin ducks, pheasants, and a phoenix all carrying a branch of a plant. The obi is a multicolored checkered rainbow piece that I picked up last year for quite cheap. Now, why did this turn out the way it did? While setting up we had this black cloth that was just kinda laying around, and originally we had it hanging on the mannequin before we even put clothes on it. I asked one of my staff members, “what if we made a kitsuke that Muslim women could wear?” and she eagerly agreed to tie our random black cloth into a hijab. It’s not the actual size that a hijab should be (it’s slightly smaller), but it was tied correctly and did meet the requirements of how much skin and hair it had to cover. We could have tucked it underneath the kimono so that not even the skin on the chest could be seen, but by that point everything was in place and it was a bit difficult to move ^^; So, we ended up with a kimono ensemble that people from other cultures and religions can enjoy. If you are Muslim then please enjoy kimono! It truly is a garment for everyone whose style you can change to match your personal tastes and observances ^^! (Just a side note: This kitsuke did have ohashori, but due to the skinniness of the mannequin it disappeared under the obi. That’s why there’s a wrinkled section under the obi; I couldn’t get the ohashori back out unless I pulled really hard, and I didn’t want to damage the kimono in the process ^^;)