#muromachi

Fashion of Black Teeth in Old Japan

A Yedo chemist’s recipe for black teeth dye from Tales of Old Japan by A.B. Mitford (1871):

“Take three pints of water, and, having warmed it, add half a teacupful of wine. Put into this mixture a quantity of red-hot iron; allow it to stand for five or six days, when there will be a scum on the top of the mixture, which should then be poured into a small teacup and placed near a fire. When it is warm, powdered gallnuts and iron filings should be added to it, and the whole should be warmed again. The liquid is then painted on to the teeth by means of a soft feather brush, with more powdered gallnuts and iron, and, after several applications, the desired colour will be obtained.” (Mitford 203)

Thought it would be fun to create a series showcasing nth century fashions of the Sinosphere (aka the East Asian cultural sphere/Confucian world, countries culturally influenced by China). I decided to depict middle to upper class women and avoided royalty, concubines, dancers, and so on.

If I am able to find adequate references, I’d like to do a series for the Indosphere (India-influences on Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, etc), Pacific Islands, Middle East, etc.

“Martial artists must possess humility and selflessly serve others…. Bushido devoid of this spirit of humility is nothing more than violence.” -Shihan Ōtake Risuke

He is the master of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu -  Japan’s oldest and most traditional sword school - considered the pinnacle of classic Japanese martial arts. It was founded in the Muromachi era (1336-1573).
It is an amazing privilege that warriors can learn from centuries of unbroken Japanese tradition, and also that they have opened their doors to share with the rest of us.

The clip is from a full movie called ‘Art of the Japanese Sword’ by Empty Mind Films, that came out in 2010- available to watch on Youtube for under $5.

Thanks so much to Marc S. for sharing this with me!