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Kanzashi (簪) are hair ornaments used in traditionalJapanesehairstyles. The termkanzashi refers to a wide variety of accessories, including long, rigid hairpins, barrettes, fabric flowers and fabric hair ties.
In the English-speaking world, the termkanzashi is typically used to refer to hair ornaments made from layers of folded cloth used to form flowers (tsumami kanzashi), or the technique of folding used to make the flowers.
Kanzashi were first used in Japan during theJōmon period. During that time, the wearing of a single thin rod or stick was considered to hold powers to ward off evil spirits, with people wearing them in their hair for protective purposes.[citation needed] The Jōmon period also saw the introduction of hair combs.
During theNara period, a variety of Chinese cultural aspects and items werebrought to Japan through mutual trade and envoys. The items brought back from China includedChinese hairpins (zan,簪; written with the sameChinese character askanzashi), amongst other hair ornaments such asChinese combs.[1]
During theHeian period, hairstyles shifted from being worn up to being worn long, and tied back relatively low. During this time period, the termkanzashi began to be used as a general term for any hair ornament, including combs and hairpins.
During theAzuchi-Momoyama period, hairstyles changed from thetaregami (垂髪, "hair hanging down") style, to the wider variety of styles worn up – predecessors of modernnihongami styles, which made more use of hair ornaments.
Kanzashi came into wider use during theEdo period, when hairstyles became larger and more complicated, using a larger number of ornaments. Artisans began to produce more finely crafted products, including some hair ornaments that could be used as defensive weapons.[citation needed] During the latter part of the Edo period, the craftsmanship ofkanzashi is considered to have reached a high point, with a number of styles and designs created, many of which persist to the modern day.
In the present day, traditional Japanese hairstyles are not commonly worn, typically being worn only bygeisha,maiko,sumo wrestlers, brides, moderntayū andoiran re-enactors, with both geisha, brides,tayū andoiran, and some apprentice geisha in some regions of Japan, using pre-styled wigs instead of their own hair.
As such, few people wearkanzashi with traditional hairstyles. However,kanzashi can be, and still are, worn with everyday hairstyles as simple hair accessories; there are a number of varieties and styles of wearingkanzashi, with modern varieties worn as hairclips both common and popular. In 1982,tsumami kanzashi were officially designated as atraditional Japanese handcraft in theTokyo region.[2]
Professionalkanzashi craftspeople typically undergo a five- to 10-year traditional apprenticeship to learn the trade. Similarly to the combs used to createnihongami hairstyles,[3] only a small number of traditionally-trainedkanzashi craftspeople are left practising the trade within Japan; from 2002 to 2010, their estimated number in the country decreased from 15 to five.[4][5]
However, thetsumami kanzashi technique of petal-folded fabrickanzashi has become a popular craft amongst hobbyists, with a number of books, kits and lessons available on the subject, from sources such as the Tsumami Kanzashi Museum inShinjuku. Some hobbyists have bypassed the traditional apprenticeship system to establish themselves as independent artisans oftsumami kanzashi in Japan.[6]
Kanzashi are fabricated from a wide range of materials, such as lacquered wood,gold andsilver plated metal,tortoiseshell,silk, and recently,plastic. Early plastickanzashi made out of materials such asbakelite are considered to be highly valued as collectables.
There are a number of basickanzashi styles, with the wear of each typically and traditionally followingseasonal arrangements; however, in the present day, the use of seasonalkanzashi is observed only by geisha, their apprentices,tayū,oiran re-enactors and in the costumes for kabuki plays. The use ofkanzashi to finely indicate age and status is a tradition also only held by geisha andmaiko.
Formaiko, the size, shape, variety and number ofkanzashi can indicate seniority and the stage of apprenticeship, used in tangent with a number ofdifferent hairstyles throughout the apprenticeship. Though geisha also wear seasonalkanzashi, this is typically confined to a change in the colour oftama kanzashi.
Despite seasonal and (in the instance of bridalwear) occasional variation, mostkanzashi that are not considered to betsumami kanzashi fall into one of a number of basic shapes and appearances.
| Name | Photo | Description | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bira-bira kanzashi (びらびら簪, "fluttering" or "danglingkanzashi") |  | Two-prongedkanzashi with a rounded plate at the tip. Metal strips are attached to its edge by small rings that move independently of the main hairpin. | Somebira-bira feature bells or long chains of additional silk flowers known asshidare, and most have amon (crest) stamped on the flattened end. |
| Ōgi bira kanzashi (扇びら簪, "fluttering fankanzashi", also known as "princess style") | .JPG) | Fan-shapedbira-bira, stamped with themon of the wearer. | Ōgi bira are typically worn bymaiko. |
| Kogai (笄, "sword") |  | Two-piece stick-shapedkanzashi featuring a design on each end, which tend to be wider than the centre.Kogai resemble sheathed swords, with one end being removable in order for it to be placed in the hairstyle. | Kogai are commonly made of tortoiseshell, lacquered wood, ceramics or metal, and are often sold as a set with an accompanyingkushi comb. |
| Kushi (櫛) |  | Comb-shapedkanzashi, typically rounded or rectangular, and made of similar materials tokogai kanzashi. | Kushi may be inlaid withmother of pearl orgilded, with most of the design placed on the wide "handle" portion, though sometimes extending down into the teeth of the comb itself.Kushi are usually placed at the front of the bun in traditional Japanese hairstyles. They commonly come in matching sets withkogai. |
| Hanagushi (花櫛, "flower comb") |  | Kushi decorated with folded silk flowers (tsumami kanzashi). | Hanagushi are popular as an informalkanzashi variety. |
| Tama kanzashi (玉簪, "ballkanzashi") |  | Single-pronged hairpin stylekanzashi decorated with a single coloured bead on the end. | Tama kanzashi are commonly made of semi-precious stones such as jade or coral, or may be made ofshibori-dyed fabric. Traditionally, redtama kanzashi were worn in the winter months, and greentama kanzashi were worn in summer. |
| Hirauchi kanzashi (平打簪) |  | Two-prongedkanzashi with a rounded, flattened end, worn as a hairpin in the back of a traditional hairstyle. | Commonly made of wood, resin or metal,hirauchi are commonly decorated with lacquer, gilded, inlaid with precious metals, or – in the case of metalhirauchi – have a filigree-style carved design. |
| Kanoko (鹿の子, "fawn spots") |  | Brightly-coloured fabric ties, sometimes padded, made of unpressedkanoko shibori-dyed fabric.Kanoko are usually tied around portions of the bun at the back of a traditional hairstyle. | Kanoko are often pink or red. Non-shibori varieties usingchirimen crepe are also seen. |
A number of other styles ofkanzashi also exist, though these are typically only worn for specific, uncommon hairstyles, such as bymaiko in certain geisha districts or by characters in some kabuki plays.
| Name | Photo | Description | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonten (梵天) |  | Large, silver wire flower hairpins, typically featuring a larger flower in the centre, worn either side of themage (bun) on certain hairstyles. | Bonten kanzashi are typically only worn with thekatsuyama (勝山) andfukiwa (吹輪) hairstyles. |
| Miokuri (見送り) |  | Strip-like metal hair ornaments seen at the back of some hairstyles, hanging down from the central bun. | Bothmaiko,tayū andoiran re-enactors wearmiokuri, with themiokuri of courtesans being longer and curled up at the end.Miokuri are usually plain red or silver, though some may feature designs. |
| Tachibana kanzashi (橘簪) | | Small, hairpin stylekanzashi intended to literally represent the ripe and unripened fruits of thetachibana orange tree. The leaves oftachibana kanzashi are usually silver, with the oranges themselves made of jade and coral. Formaiko, the placement of thetachibana kanzashi indicates seniority. | |
| Chirimen tegara (金紗手柄), also known aschirimen tegarami or simplytegara |  | A triangular, folded piece of crepe fabric pinned into the back of certain hairstyles. | Formaiko, the colour of the fabric indicates seniority. |
| Kanoko dome (鹿の子留め) | | Short, heavily-decorated hairpins with a large, rounded decoration on the end. | Typically decorated with gold, silver, tortoiseshell, jade, coral and other semi-precious stones,kanoko dome are worn at the back of some hairstyles featuring a bun, with thekanoko dome placed in the bun's centre. |
| Maezashi (まえざし) – also known asbira dome |  | Small hairpins with one small motif or decoration (such as a fan or flower) worn just above theōgi bira, again typically only bymaiko. | Maezashi are usually chosen by the wearer out of personal taste. |
Tsumami kanzashi – literally meaning "pinchedkanzashi" – are traditionalkanzashi made of squares of dyed or printed silk, folded into a number of shapes to represent flowers, plants and animals.
Each square is folded multiple times with the aid of tweezers and glued onto a base using rice glue. A finishedtsumami kanzashi piece may contain anything from five to 75 squares of silk or more.Tsumami kanzashi pieces are intended to closely represent the plant or animal they depict;tsumami kanzashi depicting flowers are known ashana kanzashi (literally meaning "flowerkanzashi").
Hana kanzashi are usually made from a cluster oftsumami kanzashi flowers, and may includebira-bira-style strips of metal or long streamers of petals dangling from the mainkanzashi piece.Maiko are well-known for wearinghana kanzashi that are typically larger than average.
Generally,hana kanzashi are worn in pairs, one on either side of the head, often with a complementarykushi. The flowers are glued to backings of metal or cardboard that are attached to a wire and are bunched together to make bouquets and other arrangements. Additional detailing ofstamens is created by the use ofmizuhiki, a strong, thin twine made fromwashi paper, often coloured and used for decorative works.
Geisha, and especiallymaiko, wear differenthana kanzashi for each month of the year.
Hana kanzashi are highly seasonal, though typically the only people in Japan who follow the seasons closely enough to register seasonal changes are geisha and their apprentices. Sincemaiko wear more elaboratekanzashi than their senior geisha, seasonal changes are even more important for them.
| Traditional |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Headgear | ||
| Belt / sash | ||
| Footwear | ||