Description

This item is an antique Kougai (笄), which was used to arrange or fix the hairstyle of Samurai. The Kougai is usually stored in the Kougai Hitsu. According to the certificate, the theme of this Kougai is “日の出千鳥図 (Hinode-Chidori Zu)”. Hinode represents the sun rising above the horizon, symbolizing new beginnings, hope, and the promise of a fresh start. Chidori (千鳥) means plovers in Japanese. The plover pattern is traditionally used as a symbol of prayer. The Japanese word Chidori is associated with the phrase Chidori (千取り), which literally means “to gain a thousand.” Therefore, its design embodies prayers for victory and wishes for achieving goals. The material used is shakudō, an alloy of copper and gold. Traditional techniques are used in this piece, including Nanakoji (魚々子地), a method of making small dot patterns on the surface that look like fish eggs, Takabori (高彫), a deep carving technique that makes the design stand out in a three-dimensional way; and Kin-iroe (金色絵), a technique where gold is added to decorate the carved parts. Authentication Paper They authenticated the Kozuka on July 8th in the 27th year of Heisei (2015). They appraised it as Hozon Tousougu, the Kozuka worth preserving for Japanese society.

Details from the shop

INCLUDED

Wooden box, NBTHK Hozon Certificate

Title

Hinode-chidori Zu

Authentication Paper

NBTHK Hozon Certificate

Certificate Reading

Certificate reading — 無銘（京金具師）