Title: Manzai Kouro
Description
This item is the Kouro (香炉, incense burner). It is a tool used for heating solid fragrances and releasing aroma components. We think this Kouro is porcelain, and it has a metal lid. The Manzai (万歳) is depicted for this item and gorgeously colored with several paintings. These bright colors are called Gosaide (五彩手, usually called Kutani Gosai), which is a characteristic of Kutani Yaki (九谷焼, Kutani ware) is Japanese pottery and porcelain produced in the south part of Ishikawa prefecture (Kanazawa city, Komatsu city, Kaga city, and Nomi city).
The Manzai (万歳) is a traditional Japanese ceremony and originally means a New Year’s blessing performance. You would see two people performing with some tools. They are called the Geisha (芸者), who congratulate and perform dances, with their wishes for a good new year. The Geisha having a Taiko (太鼓, drum) is called Saizo (才蔵), and the one holding a fan is called Tayu (太夫). It was believed that the merry and silly words exchanged by Tayu and Saizo would bring laughter and good fortune to the people.
This type of Manzai is also called the Mikawa Manzai (三河万歳), since it is originally a traditional performing art of Mikawa province (today’s Aichi prefecture). It is said that during the Edo period, the Geisha of Mikawa Manzai were welcomed by the Tokugawa Shogunate family, and allowed to perform in Edo Castle or residences of feudal loads. Nowadays, this performance is performed on festive occasions regardless of the season. Also, it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Japan in 1995.
Also, Shimenawa (しめ縄), a sacred rice-straw rope, is tied to a potted pine tree as a stage decoration. Shimenawa have been decorated in the sense that they are the boundaries of a place of purification, forbidding the entry of impure things. Even today, they are mainly used at store entrances, shrines, and so on.
If you look at the lid, you will find the geometric pattern is engraved. We believe this design is the Hoshi Shippou (星七宝) pattern, which is categorized as the Shippou (七宝) pattern. The Hoshi Shippou pattern has four stars represented by small circles drawn between each Shippou. The Shippou pattern itself came from the Wachigai Mon (輪違い文). Since a ring spreads in all four directions, the name changed to the Shihou (四方, four directions) and switched to the Shippou. In Buddhism, the seven jewels that adorn the pagoda refer to the blessings of the gods and Buddha. Therefore, the Shippou pattern has been regarded as an auspicious design. It is one of the patterns familiar to Japanese people for a long time.
*As this item is an antique, please check each photo and ensure its condition.
【About us】
Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on.
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【How to make sure the condition】
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