#Edo history

[panafrocore]

The Symbolic Significance of Brass Roosters in Benin Ancestral Altars

The brass rooster holds a significant place in the cultural and spiritual landscape of Benin. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, these roosters are not merely decorative objects but rather powerful symbols deeply intertwined with the region’s ancestral altars. In Benin, the rooster embodies various layers of meaning, transcending its physical form. As a creature associated with the…

[lionofchaeronea]

Flowers and Insects, Yamamoto Baiitsu, 1836

[tanuki-kimono]

Edo period types of hakama pants, fantastic chart by Edo-lover Nadeshico Rin. You can see here from left to right, top to bottom:

Fundomi hakama 踏込袴 - pants with a narrow bottom hem, a type of nobakama (see below)

Tattsuke hakama 裁付袴 - pants tight below the knee, sometimes refered as "ninja pants" (= Iga hakama). Those were worn by many, from samurai to servants and craftmen.

Umanoribakama 馬乗袴 - lit. "riding pants", wide hakama with high gusset split legs for confortable horse riding.

Nagabakama 長袴 - formal trailing hakama worn by samurai from late Muromachi era.

Andonbakama - skirt-like hakama worn by Meiji period female teachers and students (hence why it's sometimes called onna bakama). A boy version appeared after mid-Meiji.

Yamabakama 山袴 - daily-life work pants with narrow legs and sometimes a gathered bottom hem. Name greatly varies depending on areas and time. A direct descendant of this style are women's monpe もんぺ.

Nobakama 野袴 - shorter hakama with black velvet hem, worn by travelling samurai. It was also part of firefighters' gear.

Hirabakama 平袴 - the "classic" ankle lenght men hakama pants, with a low gusset which means it looks nice when sitting (tailoring is hence different from the umanori, see above). Also called hanbakama 半袴, those were longer than the ancient kobakama 小袴 and shorter than formal trailing nagabakama (see above).

[cinematic-phosphenes]

Woodblock prints (1700s) by Suzuki Harunobu

[fashionsfromhistory]

Wedding Kimono (Uchikake)

Chiba Prefecture, Japan

c.1850 (Edo Period)

Denver Art Museum

[andelkacroatia]

This "man" was having the time of his life

[endlesslytired]

Penacony.

more from the post looooop:

[upennmanuscripts]

In a study in contrasts, a slimy snail and a prickly winged insect share page 238 of Ms. Codex 3, three volumes of paintings or hand-colored sketches depicting mainly insects, fish and other marine life, birds and flowers. We don't know much about these books except that they were made in Japan, probably in the 19th century. If you know more, let us know!

🔗:

[barbucomedie]

Court Sword from Japan dated to the 19th Century on display at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, England

This Tachi style sword was worn for court to display and is an archaic style derived from China using flowers and foliage as decoration. Such weapons would most likely not be used for combat but as an indication of wealth and rank in court amongst other nobility.

Photographs taken by myself 2024

[the-cricket-chirps]

Katsushika Hokusai

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (details)

c. 1830-1832

[livesunique]

Fukashi Castle, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan,

@ Kota_ig

[blueiscoool]

A rare and impressive kawari kabuto [eccentrically-shaped helmet] Edo period, 17th century

[lionofchaeronea]

Black Bear Cub, Mori Shūhō, 1799

[tanuki-kimono]

Samurai's ranks and dress code in Late Edo period

AMAZING reference chart put together by Nadeshico Rin, showing the different attires worn by the men of the buke class in and about Edo Castle. OP stresses the chart is by no means exhaustive - but it helps picturing things SO MUCH!

For easier reading, I have adapted the chart with english translation. Rin has also created illustrations detailing each attire, I'll translate those in coming days under the tag "samurai kimono".

You'll find the transliteration below cut:

The court ranks - Mibun 身分 or Ikai (位階)

Find more about the exact titles here.

一位 Ichii (First court rank)

三位 Sanmi (Third court rank) and 四位 Shii (Fourth court rank)

Goi 五位 (Fifth court rank​)

Omemie ijô 御目見 以上, the "upper" vassals allowed to request audience with the shogun

Omemie ika 御目見 以下, the "lesser" vassals (not allowed to request audience with the shogun)

Rin does not mention the second court rank (二位 Nii) so I am not sure where this one is supposed to go ^^;

The clan/families - Kamei 家名

徳川将軍家 Tokugawa shôgunke (Tokugawa Shogun clan)

尾張徳川家 Owari Tokugawake (Owari Tokugawa clan), 紀伊徳川家 Kii Tokugawake (Kii Tokugawa clan), 水戸徳川家 Mito Tokugawake (Mito Tokugawa clan), 徳川御三卿 Tokugawa gosankyo (Secondary Tokugawa branch clans: Tayasu, Shimizu, and Hitotsubashi)

三奉行 Sanbugyô, & 下三奉行 Shimosan bugyô (magistrates, governors)

旗本 Hatamoto (general term for upper-rank vassals of the Tokugawa)

御家人 Gokenin (general term for lower-rank vassals of the Tokugawa)

Outfits TPO (Time, Place, Occasion)

第一礼服 (大礼 など) Daiichi raifuku (tairei nado) - Most formal outfit worn during State/important ceremonies, etc.

礼服 (正月など) Raifuku (Shogatsu nado) - Formal outfit, worn for events like New Year, etc.

通常礼服 (節句など) Tsûjô raifuku (sekku nado) - Regular formal outfit, worn during seasonal festivals, etc.

平服 Heifuku - Everyday outfit

Type of outfits

Rin has released separated charts detailing the different costumes. You'll find them translated here in coming days.

束帯 Sokutai - old ceremonial court dress, first worn by Heian nobility. Attire includes the 笏 shaku (flat ritual sceptre), and 冠 kanmuri hat.

衣冠 Ikan - old ceremonial court dress, much more simpler than sokutai

布衣 Hoi - "plain" 狩衣 kariginu (which were informal clothes worn by the nobility from the Heian period and onwards)

素襖 Suô - ceremonial dress of the lower-ranked samurai

直垂 Hitatare - ceremonial court robe​

狩衣 Kariginu - patterned kariginu (informal clothes worn by the nobility from the Heian period and onwards)

大紋 Daimon - 直垂 hitatare with large family crests

直衣 Nôshi - everyday robes which were first worn by males of the imperial family during Heian era, and then spread among nobility, etc.

長上下 Naga Kamishimo - outfit pairing a sleeveless ceremonial robe called 肩衣 kataginu, with trailing pants called 長袴 nagabakama

半上下 Han Kamishimo - outfit pairing a sleeveless ceremonial robe called 肩衣 kataginu, with ankle lenght pants called 半袴 hanbakama

[cinematic-phosphenes]

Edo Era woodblock prints by: Suzuki Harunobu, Utagawa Hiroshige, Ohara Shōson, and Hokusai

[fashionsfromhistory]

Unlined Summer Kimono (Yukata) with Illustrations from the 1802 novel 'Hizakurige' (Shank's Mare) by Ikku Jipensha

Japan

Early 19th Century (Edo Period)

LACMA (Accession Number: M.2006.37.6)