Kôgai

Accessory for putting up hair dating from the first half of the 19th century. It was probably designed for a married woman due to the decoration and subtle tones. The piece is made of wood and covered with Japanese urushi lacquer. The central section, around which hair was wrapped, is only decorated with lacquer. The ends could be seen with the hair up and so were more carefully decorated using the maki-e technique, where a fine gold dust is applied to the still-fresh lacquer. One of the ends has a background with geometric motifs, topped with clouds, flowers, and leaves. The other has a riverbank landscape with little houses, a wooden bridge, a few clouds, and other geometrical shapes at the edge.