On The Third Day Of Fun I present… the brand new feature!
Pocchiri, the special obidome that maiko wear, are the most expensive piece of any outfit in the karyukai. Centuries ago they actually functioned liked special belt buckles that would lock together to form a motif, but over time became more ornate and adapted to changing times. Instead of having to sew an obijime together with the pocchiri to form a belt the newer versions have loops on the back that now slide onto obijime. The ease in changing the pieces and global trade allowed for them to be made of precious metals and act as a focal point of wealth rather than a simple clasp that helped to keep an obi tied.
Modern pocchiri are made from the materials that make up Shippō (七宝), which are the Seven Lucky Treasures that are spoken of in Buddhist sutras. They include:
Hari(玻璃) -Quartz Gin(銀) -Silver Kin(金) -Gold Menō(瑪瑙) -Agate Ruri(瑠璃) - Lapis Lazuli Shinju(真珠) - Pearl/Mother of Pearl Sango(珊瑚) -Coral
Wearing pocchiri made from these treasures is meant to bring good luck, plus it promotes the use of native precious and semi-precious stones and materials.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the first example:
Materials: Gold, Silver, Mother of Pearl, Pearl, and Coral Motifs: Butterflies, Canola or Oxalis Blossoms, and Wind Owned By: Fukushima (福嶋) okiya in Gion Kobu
This piece was chosen for two main reasons; the first is that we get to see the piece not being worn, which allows us to specifically focus on it and not the entire outfit. The second is that the flower parts are actually a bit debatable! Surprisingly, canola blossoms and oxalis (clover) blossoms look very similar as they both have four heart shaped petals. They’re also motifs found in the spring when butterflies begin to awaken from their winter slumber. However, canola blossoms are yellow whereas oxalis blossoms tend to be white, pink, or purple. But, if I had to choose, I’d actually go with canola blossoms for this one as there is a song/dance in the Inoue repertoire called Nanoha (菜の花), the name for canola blossoms, which is the story of a butterfly deciding which canola blossom to land on. The wind motif that the main motifs rest upon is meant to invoke the image of a slight breeze that moves both the butterflies and flowers around. As a special bonus, here’s maiko Fumino (章乃) wearing this piece:
September 2018: Minarai Umesana (Umeno Okiya) of Kamishichiken has just made her official debut as a Minarai! Her Misedashi will take in late October, shortly after her sister Umenana.
July 2018: maiko Ichiaya showing the tanzakumotifs on the sleeve of her hikizuri at the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts (source). For the Tanabata festival, which runs from early July through early August, Japanese people will write wishes (often in the form of poems) on small pieces of paper and tie them to the leaves of bamboo plants.
