What is the name of the hairpin in the hair of a geisha. Fashionable hairstyles in Japanese style

Geisha hairstyles are ancient art. Girls were recognized by them, and every self-respecting geisha was obliged to be able to create such masterpieces. But times are changing, and geisha hairstyles are becoming history. They were replaced by wigs, which modern geisha are now using.

From the history

Geishas did not combine hair and clothing until the seventeenth century. Only in the Edo period (1600-1868), under the influence of the culture of Korea and China, did traditional hairstyles develop. They survived almost unchanged to this day. Regulations were set for appearance geishas and their occupations. This was done so that they would not be confused with corrupt women.

The higher the status of a geisha, the more difficult her hairstyle was. The latter was called shimada. The students decorated their heads with satin ribbons and hairpins, although their hairstyles were simple. As a student's status rose, so did her hairstyle. It was customary to decorate these structures with kanzashi flowers and various accessories.

Once an apprentice reached the status of a geisha, she could wear a wig. Moreover, for beauty, wigs were only at first.

How did

The geisha hairstyle was created once every two weeks. But before you start styling, you had to rub your hair with camellia oil. This was done to make them shine. Molten wax and fondant were used to shape it, and at the same time fix it. It is noteworthy that the wax was scented with floral fragrances, with each smell corresponding to its season.

How to save

If geisha hair was so rare, how did they manage to keep it? Geishas didn't sleep on regular pillows. They were given a takamakura (wooden pillow under the neck) and they slept on it. In order to get used to sleeping like this, the students poured rice around their heads. It was a way to find out if the girl was spinning in her sleep. If there were grains of rice in the hairstyle, then it was redone.

How to do hair for students

How to make a geisha hairstyle? Before you start experimenting with hair, you need to decide what hairstyle you want to do. For example, female students wore misedashi waresinobu. This hairstyle had to be worn for three years.

The bangs were caught in front with a long ribbon and twisted into a tourniquet. Such a tourniquet should rise above the entire hairstyle.

How to make a geisha hairstyle? You need to collect the hair in a bun at the back of the head and weave a ribbon in the middle. She will separate the bundle. This tape must be secured with a special pin holding it. Silk flowers and kanzashi are usually added to the hairstyle.

How to do the senior student's hair

After a year or two, the student becomes the eldest. She goes through a certain ceremony and from that moment begins to wear a different hairstyle. It's called a split peach. The hairstyle of a novice geisha is as follows:

  1. Hair must be pulled up into a knot.
  2. The bangs are also removed. Thus, the face and neck are completely open.
  3. Wrap a red ribbon around the bun and tie it under your hair.
  4. From above, the bundle is decorated with a hairpin, which is called kanokomode.
  5. The next step is to wrap the bundle again with red ribbon. But now the knot is tied over the forehead.

How to do the hair that students wear before becoming geishas

Hairstyles became more and more complex and were decorated with many different accessories.

You can make a geisha hairstyle with your own hands, but it is very difficult. European women cannot always repeat what Asians do with ease. Consider ofuku hairstyle. She is remarkable only triangular decoration, which is pricked behind a flattened beam. It is made of fabric in the shape of a triangle with tegars. We can say that a red ribbon is wrapped around the beam, but with a white pattern, so a triangle is formed below.

How to make a sakko hairstyle

This Japanese geisha hairstyle was created when a student practically became a geisha. First, a hair cutting ceremony is performed. After that, loose hair is carefully combed and laid out in a certain way under the wig. This very wig will be worn by a geisha instead of constructing a hairstyle.

Sakko is different from others. And it lies in the fact that at the back of the head the beam is divided into strands. Decorate it with a comb, ribbon and a special hairpin that will hold the ribbon. If desired, a woman can add a few more decorations. Traditionally, they should be made of tortoise shell, but in the modern world, it is not necessary to follow the traditions. Especially since you're not a geisha.

More detailed instructions

We remember a photo of a geisha hairstyle with a split peach from school days. She was portrayed in the history books. Above, it was described in general terms how hairstyles look. But so that you can repeat the installation yourself, you need more detailed instructions:

  1. Wash your hair well before styling your hair. After all, the geisha's hair always shone and smelled good.
  2. AT original version hair is smeared with badger fat. But since the world has successfully survived the geisha era, you can use wax for styling hair. The hair is lubricated so that the hairstyle keeps its shape better, and the hair is clean and the curls do not crumble.
  3. When the hair is prepared, you should choose the golden dot. This is where the hairstyle originates from. Geisha traditionally choose this point on the back of the head.
  4. But it is important to know that the location of the point directly depends on age. The younger the woman, the higher this point will be.
  5. The hair from the bottom of the back of the head is combed in such a way that a rounded shape is obtained. This is all combed up and fixed with a hairpin.
  6. The strands from the temples are also combed up and laid so that they are a continuation of the occipital roundness.
  7. The bangs are temporarily fixed with a beam that hangs slightly forward.
  8. Photos of geisha hairstyles can be viewed endlessly. But even there it is not clear how to do it. This is not visible in the photograph, but is fixed in a rounded shape only side hair.
  9. The bulk of the hair is collected in a tail, from which a bundle is subsequently formed.
  10. The shape of the beam depends on which style the woman has chosen.
  11. The bundle is divided into two parts and wrapped with a red ribbon.
  12. Finished hairstyle decorate with sticks, tortoise shell combs, flowers.

It is important to know that most often the flowers in the hair are set alive, in last resort silk. Very rarely, but sometimes a small fan is used to decorate the hairstyle.

To keep the flowers well, they are fixed with invisibility. Traditional hairstyle does not accept an abundance of jewelry, so it is important to observe the measure.

Before you make a geisha hairstyle a split peach or some other, you need to understand how they differ from each other.

Wareshinobu

This hairstyle is done by novice students. It differs from others:

  1. A strip of red silk tied under the hair around the base of the bun This hairstyle is worn mainly by the youngest students.
  2. Hairpin-brooch "kanokodome", which is decorated with a bunch on top.
  3. Another strip of red silk tied around the base of the maemage (a bun gathered from the hair just above the forehead).
  4. Hairpin with decorations in the technique of kanzashi.
  5. With a wide likeness of a crest, it is decorated with flowers.

Ofuku

After a few performances as a novice student, the status is upgraded to a senior student.

Accordingly, her hairstyle changes. Now the red silk strip has white drawing, it is tied around the bundle in such a way that a triangle forms below. The hairstyle has a red silk bow and a kanzashi hairpin, but there are no flowers on it anymore. A tortoiseshell comb is worn only on special occasions, on ordinary days it is replaced with a plastic one.

The senior student can remain in her status for several years, which means that she will wear the same hairstyle.

Katsuyama

This geisha peach hairstyle is not very similar, but it is not everyday either. They make it on special occasions and wear it for a month. It differs from the rest in that the red silk ribbon is tied with a roller at the back at the base of the bundle. In addition, the comb is attached under the tape, not above it. Another red ribbon is located above the forehead. The kanzashi hairpin is located on the left side above the forehead. Since tortoiseshell combs are worn in special occasions, then here it is.

Yakkoshimada

The hairstyle is done only for celebrations and is worn with a strict kimono. It is worn during the New Year, before an apprentice becomes a geisha.

Typical styling details: tortoiseshell comb and tortoiseshell comb. In addition to them, a bun of hair is decorated with coral beads. Red silk ribbons are still present in the hairstyle - above the forehead and around the bun.

Sacco

The hair is done before the initiation ceremony and is worn for two weeks. In historical times, such a hairstyle was worn by those women who just got married.

It is decorated with a crest made of tortoise shell and studs made of the same. Hair for hairstyles was lengthened with special overlays that resemble a modern chignon. Unlike the relatively simple design of previous hairstyles, this bun has a complex shape.

In the modern world, geisha prefer wigs and only very serious occasions can style their hair.

Geiko shimada

This styling is usually done at tea ceremonies. It is decorated only with tortoise shell decor.

Miyako-odori yo Chuushimada

This hairstyle is universal, it is worn by both students and already geishas. But this happens only during the dance festival in the Gion Kobu quarter. By the way, a hairstyle is being done to perform a common dance of students and geishas.

Hair ornaments are considered to be accessories with flowers and they are not repeated. Every year a different set is made for a new festival.

look like a geisha

Surely you decided to make a geisha hairstyle in connection with some event. Most likely, this is some kind of performance or carnival. But one hairstyle is not enough. In order for the image to be reliable, you need to know all its subtleties. This will come in handy for the conversion.

First, you need to do your hair like a geisha. You can go the easy way and buy a wig. But it will be much more interesting to try to reproduce the hairstyle yourself.

Secondly, makeup should also match the image of a geisha. If you do not know how to paint, then use the help professional makeup artist. But you can try to apply makeup yourself. It is important to remember that a geisha must look perfect.

First make the base. To do this, mix white powder with water to a paste-like state. The mixture is applied to the neck and face with a wide brush. After application, lightly go over with a sponge to remove excess water. Draw eyebrows with a black pencil, they should be soft shape without breaks or bends. You can see a red tint on the eyebrows of geishas, ​​so you draw them with a red pencil.

With liquid red eyeliner, draw a small arrow from the outside of the eye. Next, over the red eyeliner, draw a black arrow. A black arrow should be drawn all over the eyelid. Inside the eye, paint the mucous membrane with a black pencil. Geisha lips are bright red, so you need to stock up on red lipstick. You can outline your shape, or you can do it the way the geisha did - draw small lips, and mask the remaining space with a white base.

If you repeat everything exactly, then your festive image will be remembered for a long time and everyone will be delighted with it.

Conclusion

You have learned how to make a Japanese geisha hairstyle for a girl or woman. Age does not play a big role, since the hairstyle is done the same way.

To make the image complete, you need to try to buy real or stylized japanese jewelry. They will give the image completeness and the necessary color. Finding them, of course, is not easy, but you can search in virtual stores.

The image will not be complete if you do not do geisha makeup. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a child or an adult, but makeup is an indispensable part of the intended image. The more accurately it is made, the more reliable your appearance will be. After all, the geisha did everything flawlessly, which was appreciated in them.

Hairstyle is, of course, good, but do not forget about suitable clothes and behavior. Study this question, and then you can outshine everyone at a party or event. Geishas are a very interesting part of the history of Japan, it is not for nothing that they have remained popular for so many centuries. Who knows, maybe you will get so carried away that then you won’t be able to live without the East. Be curious and learn new things.

My translation of the article Penta-san about traditional Japanese women's hairstyles - nihongami (日本髪).

When using this translation or extracts from it, do not forget to link toauthor ! Well, the modest person of the translator, that is, me, would also be nice to mention. :)

Table of contents:

  • Introduction.
  • 1. How to create a traditional Japanese hairstyle
  • 2. Mage shape and hairstyle name: shimada-mage and marumage.
  • 3. The form of mage and the name of the hairstyle: date-hyogo (otherwise - tate-hyogo).
  • 4. Types of hair ornaments and their use: hairstyles of oiran courtesans.
  • 5. Types of hair ornaments and their use: hairstyles for unmarried girls, prostitutes and geishas.
  • 6. Types of hair ornaments and their uses: maiko and geiko hairstyles Kyoto
  • 7. Bangs. Loose hair. Personal hygiene in the Edo period
  • 8. Tsumami-saikou - the art of making flowers from silk for "flower hairpins" of hana-kanzashi.
  • 9. Examples of tsumami saiku hairpins. Their use in the hairstyle of a young townswoman
  • 10. Recommended reading

Translator's Preface

For starters, what are nihongami hairstyles?

Nihongami (日本髪, lit. "Japanese hair") in the broad sense- this is generally any hairstyle, both female and male, that existed on the Japanese islands from the Kofun period (250-538) to the beginning of Showa (1926-1989), when European fashion prevailed. But more often, nihongs mean women's hairstyles, which existed from the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1603) to the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). (In addition, this term is sometimes used for modern hairstyles that can be worn with a kimono without violating the style of the ensemble.)

In this article, the word "nihongami" is used in the second meaning.

The tradition of nihongami is alive in Japan and continues to be worn by geisha, maiko, tayu, traditional dancers and kabuki actors. Yes, and among ordinary Japanese interest in these hairstyles does not fade away, as evidenced by the annual festivalKushi matsuri (櫛祭り, Jap."kusi matsuri", i.e. Comb Festival in Kyoto. Nihongami masters create historically authentic Japanese hairstyles on the heads of women participating in the festival (and using their own hair), after which women in appropriate hairstyle (and era of its existence) outfits pass through the streets of Kyoto.

A little about why I undertook the translation of this article. There is a lot of information on the Internet about traditional Japanese hairstyles, both reliable and not very, great amount photographs and engravings. However, I was primarily interested not in how these hairstyles looked, but in how to make them, and here's why: I got the idea to combine my three hobbies - dolls, hairpins and Japan, and make an absolutely authentic doll - in the right Japanese outfit and with the right hairstyle. So I plunged into the history of the Japanese costume and nihongami.

I thought over the appearance of the doll, prepared accessories, outfit, and even found suitable shoes. The matter remained for the main thing - for the hairstyle.But in order to create an authentic hairstyle, it is not enough to know how it looks, you need to know HOW to make it. I was not interested in general words, but in a specific way. However, a clear explanation step by step instructions I could not find it on the Russian or English Internet. Video clips, excerpts from programs about traditional Japanese hairdressing did not help either: concentrating on the complexity of the process and on all sorts of tricks, like frames and hairpieces, they did not explain the most basic things.

Only Penta-san's article helped me out, with wonderful, very understandable drawings and informative explanations. Penta-san writes for artists, but this article will be useful for both puppeteers and those who are fond of cosplay, role-playing games, staged photography, connoisseurs of ukiyo-e, and just lovers of Japanese culture in all its manifestations. After reading this article, you will not only learn to determine social status and position by hairstyle (for example, you will be able to distinguish a courtesan from a geisha, a samurai's daughter from a townswoman, and a girl from adult woman) and get to know various types hairpins and hair ornaments, but also learn how you can make such hairstyles yourself.

I tried to make the article as clear as possible for the Russian-speaking reader, adding original text notes and links to external resources, as well as illustrating it with photographs and engravings.

Introduction

So, my name is Penta, let's get acquainted!

AT recent times I often hear "Ah, I love the Japanese style so much!" and I often see images of people dressed and combed like oiran, maiko, etc.


O However, many do not have a very good idea of ​​what traditional nihongami (日本髪, literally - "Japanese hair") hairstyles are, how they differ from modern hairstyles, and because they drawgets into his head, depict arbitrary hairpins and jewelry, in a word, fantasize as they want.


If we are talking about fantasy and science fiction characters such asYunafrom Final Fantasy 10 or queenAmidalafrom"Star Wars", thenit is quite normal to depict them in blouses with attached sleeves, in pleated skirts, with hair standing on end at the crown, etc.: the freedom of the artist is not limited here, and he is free to invent any outfits, any hairstyles that inspiration tells him (however, it should be remembered that all this is by no means is a traditional Japanese style).

If someone draws precisely oiran, maiko, geisha, then the author's fantasies are not allowed here: after all, all these are professions that really existed in Japan for a certain time with their own "dress code" and strict rules regarding hairstyles and makeup.


In Japan of the Edo era, there was a strict division of classes, so it was always possible to accurately determine the profession and social status of a person by hairstyle and clothing. This also meant that both clothes and hairstyles were prescribed by law, and it was forbidden to dress in any other way. The maiko and geiko of Kyoto, who inherited these traditions, still observe extremely strict rules regarding dress and hairstyles.


You might think that this is bad, but take, for example, our time: if, when drawing successful managers from first-class companies, depict them dressed in bright red Hawaiian shirts, or with a puffy lace bow tie tied over a business suit shirt, with a ponytail or mohawk, you get a perfect nonsense. Exactly the same rules apply when we refer to traditional Japanese culture: we must depict such a costume and hairstyle that correspond to the era, position and profession of their owner.

But do not rush to exclaim: "Since everything is so complicated, I will never draw geisha again!": in this article I will talk about basic principles With creating nihongs and explain the general rules for using hair ornaments. If you just memorize these basics, then you can easily apply your knowledge in practice, so please don't worry - the world of traditional Japanese nihongami hairstyles is not at all so scary. shen!

1. The basics of creating a traditional Japanese hairstyle

Style of old women's hairstyles to nihongami, with ko which I am about to introduce you, existed from the Bunka and Bunsei eras (mid-second half of Edo), and until the Meiji era. (Before, hairdressing in Japan was not developed enough, so when depicting these complex hairstyles, do not forget about the time frame of their real existence.)

There is a word in Japanese" chommage "(ちょんまげ, Jap. chonmage), meaning a double-folded bundle of hair at the back of the head - a typical hairstyle for samurai, men of the Edo period and modern sumo wrestlers. The main difference between female yoski nihongami from male chommage is that a bun of hair folded in half ( mage) give a variety complex shapes.
(Note. transl.: the word "mage" can be translated both as "hair knot" and as "hairpiece". When translating, I preferred to use the first option as the most appropriate in meaning: although hairpieces and overlays are used for complex hairstyles, more simple hairstyles created with your own hair.)


The most common dy nihongami is shimada (島田, Jap. shimada) and its numerous varieties (bunkin-takashimada, tsubushi-shimada, yuwata), marumage, children's hairstyle momovare (lit. "cut peach") and its variety wareshinobu (hairstyle of maiko beginners in Kyoto), etc.


Please remember that the women of the era Edo never wore bangs! See the reason below, in section 7.

So how do you create nihongami:


1. The hair on the head is divided into 5 parts: front -maegami(literally - "hair in front"),side -bin , occipital -tabo (also calledtsuto ) and top -ne.

2. The basis of the entire hairstyle is the "root" -ne (根). This part is tightly tiedmotoyu - paper tape. (The ribbon is tied so tightly that it causes headache, and all maiko - apprentice geisha - are afraid that after a few years of work they will receive a round, about the size of a 10 yen coin, a bald spot on top, the so-called.maiko-hage - "Maiko's bald head". This is one of the reasons that adult geisha now tend to wear wigs.) The position of the knotted bun on the head - whether it is raised (highne ) or omitted (lowne ), depends on the situation, age and social status. knotted highne meant sophistication and sophistication, and therefore all the girls from the samurai class tiedne high.

3. Then they are taken for the hair located above the neck, formingtabo (たぼ), and connect them with the strands of the warp- ne. Tabo you can not tighten it tightly, leaving it hanging freely, or, conversely, tightly pull it up, due to which the entire silhouette of the hairstyle changes.

4. Next in line are the side piecesbin (びん or 鬢, lit. "temporal hair"): they are also attached tone . sticking out wide to the sidesbin calledtoro-bin ( 灯籠鬢 , Jap. then:ro:bin) - bin -flashlight, because in their shape, they resemble a round cut horizontally in half paper lantern. How wide are madebin , is the main factor determining the shape of the hairstyle.


5. Hair in front -maegami (前髪) - gathered together, then tied up in front, at some distance from the roots of the hair, after which the ends of the strands are tied to ne. To give the hairstyle the desired shape, you can tightenmaegami back and create a flat silhouette, or make it more curvaceous by liftingmaegami up.


6. By now everything loose ends are attached tone and form a single "tail". From this tail they formmage - a bunch of hair at the back of the head, - which is given a variety of shapes and decorated in different ways. As a rule, the name of a particular type of hairstyle is given in the formmage .


Translation of the inscriptions in the figure: (from right to left and from top to bottom, in the direction of the arrows):

1) 前髪 - maegami , - ne , びん - bin , たぼ ( つと ) - tabo ( tsuto ).

2) Ne - the basis of the entire hairstyle - tightly bandaged.

3) Pulling up the strandstabo , create the shape of the back of the hair, then attach the endstabo tone .

4) Form the side partsbin and tie them tone .

5) Maegami also tied tone , so that the result is that all the hair forms one "tail" at the back of the head. They make a bundle out of it -mage .

2. Mage shape and hairstyle name: shimada-mage and marumage

How as a rule, the name of a particular type of hairstyle is given according to the formula me mage .

A variation of the mage bun called shimada-mage is created as follows: the strands of hair gathered together are tucked up and then bent inward, giving a characteristic shape, so that the resulting figure resembles a figure eight on the side. From above, the central part of the mage is tied up with a thread, cord or piece of cloth.


Shimada-mage is used in many hairstyles:

Bunkin Takashimada (文金高島田)


Bunkin-shimada - hairstyle of girls of the samurai class and modern brides, - is done like this: from the base- ne tied high (高島田, Jap. takashimada, literally means "high shimada"), a shimada-mage is formed, and the hair that makes up the bun-mage is gathered together at the very top of the head and stacked in the form of a magnificent cylinder. The central part of the mage is tied with thin golden twine (for wedding celebration), white paper twine, braided cord or something else narrow, and so loose that it seems as if it was done only for decorative purposes.

Elegant bunkin-takashimada is worn by modern Kyoto geishas, ​​as if emphasizing her motto: "We show only our art and do not stoop to obscene things. This is our pride."

Looking at the materials of the Artnet documentary photo gallery, you can see that the so-called "girls from the mansions" - servants who worked for the samurai (a kind of "office employees" of the Edo period) - also went with this hairstyle.

Tsubushi Shimada (つぶし島田)

City girls from merchant families, geishas of the Edo period and prostitutes, on the contrary, tied the middle of the mage very tightly. If you do this, then a bend is formed in the central part of the mage. Hairstyle with mage like this concave shape called tsubushi-shimada (つぶし島田, Jap. tsubushi shimada, lit. "ruined shimada") and was considered sexy and cute.


The foundation- ne for tsubushi-shimada it can be located both low and on the very top of the head. If we look at the tsubushi-shimada from the back, we can see that the upper and lower ends of the mage expand, forming a kind of bow or hourglass. The knot in the central part of the mage is often decorated with a ribbon of chirimen silk (ちりめん, Jap. chirimen, a kind of crepe de chine), speckled fabric (since the speckled fabric resembled a pattern on the back of a deer - kanoko(鹿の子), she was also called kanoko), giving volume due to thick winding with gold or silver twine, etc.


decorated kanoko tsubushi-shimada, in particular its variety called yuwata(結綿), has become a typical hairstyle for young townswomen:

Marumage (丸髷)

Both for shimada and marumage, different combinations of shapes of the main elements of the hairstyle are acceptable: the side parts are extended bin, to the sides or not, whether they are raised (ears are visible) or lowered (ears are not visible), hair above the neck - tabo- tucked up or lying low on the neck, ne high or low. Using the example of a geisha's marumage from the bottom of the figure in section 5, you can see how due to the fact that bin left and right protrude to the sides, forming toro-bin("flashlight"), and tabo gently pulled up, a harmonious and elegant hairstyle is created.

Explanations for the figure:
1. Mage is folded up, then inward, and fixed.
2. Takashimada: high knot. The mage bundle is made lush.
3. Tsubushi-shimada: the central part of the mage is concave.
4. Tsubushi-shimada front and back.

3. Mage shape and hairstyle name: date-hyogo (otherwise - tate-hyogo)

Back view

This hairstyle is also called tate-hyogo(立兵庫, "standing hyōgo"), although originally tate-hyogo- this is a high vertical knot on the crown of the head, which is completely not reminiscent of a butterfly silhouette, around which locks of hair are wrapped:


Tate-hyogo

Hairstyle in the form of "hare ears" was once called o:hyogo(横兵庫, "horizontal hyōgo"). To create it, mage strands were divided vertically in half and the center was tied up. The shape, similar to rabbit ears, is formed due to the fact that the hair is pulled up and down and stretched to the sides. Because under tate-hyogo may be implied different hairstyles Please be careful not to mix them up. If you use Google image search by typing 伊達兵庫 (" date hyogo"), 立兵庫 (" tate-hyogo"), 横兵庫 (" o:hyogo"), then you can find a lot of images with a hairstyle in the form of "hare ears".

It should be added that all varieties of hairstyles hyogo worn only by yujo prostitutes, and never by ordinary women.

So, the typical hairstyles of prostitutes are date hyogo, tsubushi-shimada and marumage. Although there were a great variety of yujo hairstyles, these three were the most common. So, almost all yujo in the engravings of Utamaro wear marumage with side "wings" in the form of lanterns ( then:ro:-bin), and Hokusai's ukiyo-e depicts mostly girls with date hyogo.

Explanations for the figure:
1) Mage stretched out in width and straightened up and down; in the center is a knot of strands of hair.

2) date hyogo (tate-hyogo): mage stretched up, down and to the sides and took the form of butterfly wings

4. Types of hair ornaments and their use: oiran hairstyles

Looking through contemporary drawings of oiran, say, in Pixiv It is impossible not to notice that most of their decorations - huge artificial flowers, hairpins in the form of gingko leaves sticking out on top of their heads, etc. - have nothing in common with real oiran decorations.

Nowadays, it is accepted that only girls and young girls decorate their hair with fabric flowers, light and airy hairpins, etc. Likewise in yu:kaku(遊郭) - quarters of brothels, - only kamuro girls (禿, Jap. kamuro- short children's haircut), who had not yet begun accepting clients and were in the middle of training, wore hana-kanzashi("flower pins"). (Section 8 will go into more detail about tsumami saikou- making realistic artificial flowers from fabric.)



In modern Gion, only maiko students wear hana-kanzashi made in the tsumami-saikou technique. Combs and hairpins of adult geiko are made only from hard and expensive materials (from white Ivory, silver, coral, from a tortoise shell resembling translucent plastic sand color). Also, yujo, who provided sexual services to men, and, of course, did not belong to the category of "unmarried girls", as a rule, wore hairpins and other hair accessories made of hard material - tortoise shell (tortoise shell was and remains extremely expensive: a simple small a hairpin from it now costs about 50,000 yen).

The oiran decorations in the illustration for this section are a complete set of ceremonial decorations for special occasions:

Explanations for the figure:

1) - 2 marudama-kanzashi
- 2 studs in shape pine needles
- 2-3 combs - kushi
- 12 ear spatula studs
- 1 kogai
2) Maegami and mage are decorated with cords of gold threads
3) Instead of spatula shaped ear studs, studs with family coat of arms kamon, enclosed in a circle
4) Mage can also be inserted birabira-kanzashi


More about oiran hairstyle decorations:

1. Three spatula-shaped hairpins are inserted into the maegami on the left and right, six in total; behind in the hair of the tabo are six more of the same hairpins. The "trunk" of these hairpins is divided in two, forming a narrow gap, and they are attached to the hair due to the fact that the hair strands are pinched by this gap. Since this type of hairpin resembles in its shape kotoji- supports for the strings of the Japanese zither-koto, they are called so - " kotoji-kanzashi"(琴柱かんざし, Jap. kotoji kanzashi). (Note trans. - usually these hairpins are not attached to the hair, but to a special pad that is placed under the maegami.)

Oiran of the Edo period more often wore these hairpins, but hairpins with the kamon family crest enclosed in a circle could also be used instead.

Hairpin with coat of arms kamon


2. The next element of the hairstyle - two or three combs - kushi(櫛, Jap. bite) in a row. They are inserted between the mage and the head and tilted forward.

3. Two pine needle-shaped hairpins (松葉の形のかんざし, Jap.) are stuck between the combs and mage. matsu no kata no kanzashi) and two marudama-kanzashi (丸玉 " marudama"- ball, round gem). (Note trans. - such hairpins are more often called tama-kanzashi.) These are studs with a round pommel made of coral or jade.


4. In front, maegami strands are tied with gold threads or cord. Mage is decorated on the back with a cord-kumihimo, woven from gold threads and tied into an intricate knot. The name of such an ornament is given by the method of tying a knot: for example, the illustration for this section shows agemaki-musubi (あげまき結び).

How to tie agemaki musubi


5. A four-sided "stick" is inserted horizontally into the mage - ko:guy. As a matter of fact, ko:guy- this is not quite an ornament: it supports mage and, although it began to perform a decorative function over time, it is necessary and obligatory element hairstyle designs.

Comb-Kushi and Kogai


In addition to the above, silver hairpins can be stuck between mage and bin birabira(ビラビラ - onomatopoeia for "to flutter"): from their flat pommel - round or fan-shaped - small plates hang, swinging freely. Maiko wear one bira-kanzashi, but several oirans were worn at once. This type of hairpin was more popular not in Edo, where elegance was valued, but in Osaka, which prefers luxury.

Bira-kanzashi


Mage instead of the golden agemaki knot can be decorated with silk fabric dyed using an extremely laborious technique. shibori(絞り, Jap. shibori) - nodular staining.

Shibori fabric


All this is a complete ceremonial set of jewelry, say, for oiran-do:chu:(花魁道中, Jap. oiran do:chu:) - a solemn procession of oiran, or for a very luxurious banquet. AT Everyday life wore fewer hairpins, and when meeting with a client (i.e. before going to bed with him), all jewelry was removed. Therefore, when depicting oiran, you cannot use more decorations than shown in the figure, but it is permissible to reduce their number.


Oiran parade procession.Episode from the movie "Yoshiwara Enjo" ("Fire of Yoshiwara")


Oiran were few in number: of the approximately 5,000 yujo (prostitutes) of the Yoshiwara district in Edo, only a few women from first-class establishments of the highest rank (so-called " about: mise"大見世) had the right to be called "oiran" and perform oiran-do:chu:. They are comparable in popularity to modern movie stars (as evidenced by ukiyo-e prints, the equivalent of posters in the Edo period). Only daimyo or millionaires could buy the services of oiran - in a word, those whose financial condition allowed them to spend several hundred thousand yen in one night. For comparison, ordinary yujo (whose counterpart in modern Japanese sex industry is デリヘル" deriheru", or "call girls") cost about 10,000 yen per night.

Therefore, if you are already drawing an oiran - the most refined and most expensive courtesan of the Edo era - in full dress or in a situation oiran-do:chu:, then please do not depict her dressed as a cheap yujo - with a kimono collar pulled down to her shoulders, forming something like a neckline.

Oiran and Kamuro. Katsushika Hokusai


The collar of the kimono is pulled back a little, exposing the neck and the very top of the back (this style of wearing arose due to the use of hair oil, which is discussed in more detail in section 7), and only the throat remains open in front, maximum to that point at the base of the neck, from where clavicles diverge. Appearing in public in a kimono open at the chest could only mean that this woman"with oddities" or, more simply, crazy. (Of course, you can draw a "decollete" depicting bed scene, but then do not forget to reduce the amount of jewelry in the hair - the abundance of hairpins will not correspond to an intimate situation.)

5. Types of hair ornaments and their use: hairstyles for unmarried girls, prostitutes and geishas

Unmarried girls wore lush, flowing hair accessories made from soft materials: ribbons, flowers, brushes made of silk threads. The decorations themselves and the place they were worn in the hairstyle were strictly defined:

1) The knot with which they tied the maegami - the hair above the forehead - was decorated with a silk ribbon, beautiful threads, mizuhiki(水引き) - a special kind of paper twine.

2) In mage and maegami they wore a comb.

Comb types:

    lacquered patterned combs urushi(漆, Jap. Urushi);

    combs, on the base of which is glued a large number of silk flowers made using the tsumami-saiku technique (see photo in section 9);

    combs to which many small tsumami-saikou flowers are attached, impaled on a silver wire, so that something like a lush volumetric inflorescence is obtained (depicted in the illustration for section 6 in maiko; the figure in section 8 shows how they were made).

3) Hairpins were worn on both sides of the maegami. On one side of the head were decorations made of "soft" materials: brushes made of silk threads, hana-kanzashi ("flower hairpins") using the tsumami-saiku technique - one or two flowers larger or many small ones, in the form of spherical bouquets or hanging like wisteria, etc., and on the other hand - silver birabira-kanzashi, hairpins made of silver and coral, i.e. accessories made of "solid" materials. However, only a girl from a wealthy family could afford such jewelry.

4) Mage was tied with a ribbon of chirimen silk with gold foil sequins or cloth kanoko, painted in the technique of shibori.

5) Between mage and tabo (hair above the neck), various colored paper ornaments could be worn, as shown in the figure below. Such ornaments are called taenaga (丈長).

6) Between mage and bin, at the back or on the sides of the head, tama-kanzashi made of coral or jade were often worn. Usually these hairpins are inserted from the side or back into the base of the mage-ne knot (in the illustration for this section, the yujo hairstyle in the middle figure shows a cast silver hairpin, while the geisha in the bottom picture has a coral marudama kanzashi).


Explanations for the figure:
1) yuwata (a type of tsubushi-shimada): an unmarried city girl
2) tsubushi shimada: yujo prostitute
3) marumage: geisha

Girl's hairstyle, embellished In a similar way, makes a very touching impression, which can be easily seen by looking at the work of the artist Uemura Shoen.


Like unmarried girls, yujo also often wore a tsubushi-shimada hairstyle, but the unchanging rule " hard materials- for adults\married women" makes it easy to distinguish them: combs and kogai made of tortoiseshell, a silver hairpin at the base of the mage and a silver silk thread tying the center of the mage, do not allow us to confuse the yujo in the picture with an unmarried girl, despite the same hairstyle.


Geisha (who also belonged to adult/married women in status) were more refined than yujo. Their hairstyles were decorated with combs and hairpins made of tortoise shell and silver, mizuhiki paper twine, the base-ne was tied with a silk ribbon or paper strip.

The geisha in the figure is depicted in the spirit of Utamaro: the side parts of the hairstyle - bean - are stretched wide to the sides, forming toro-bin- "flashlight", the hair above the neck - tabo - is smoothly combed up, the hair above the forehead - maegami - is also pulled back. Mage is given a magnificent rounded shape, characteristic of the marumage hairstyle. All this makes the resulting image very elegant.

6. Types of hair ornaments and their uses: maiko and geiko hairstyles Kyoto

The flowers on the tsumami saiku hairpins of the maiko are usually collected in rounded bunches of inflorescences. For beginners, maiko is added to them also flower garland hanging along the face like wisteria. Senior maiko do not wear flower garland hairpins.

The side parts of the bins of the Kyoto maiko are extended to the sides and do not cover the ears, the ends of the bins differ from to:ro:-bin - they are slightly lowered down. Please note that the strands of the tabo - the back of the head - are smoothly combed up. The type of mage in the picture is called wareshinobu (割れしのぶ, Jap. waresinobu) is the hairstyle of a beginner, younger maiko.

Explanations for the figure:
1. Maiko (top to bottom, left to right) - bira-dome, silver birabira-kanzashi, tsumami-saiko comb, kanzashi tsumami-saiko, kanoko-dome, tama-kanzashi.
2. Geiko.

Maiko hairstyles are made from their own hair (once a week the girls wash their hair and visit the hairdresser for a haircut), but the modern Gion geisha wear wigs.

Since the geiko of Kyoto are "adult women" in status (as opposed to "girls" -maiko), they are supposed to wear not frivolous ribbons and flowers in their hair, but fine jewelry made of hard and expensive materials: these are combs - tortoiseshell, silver or ivory, jade hairpins-nejime (根締め, Jap. nejime, i.e. fastened in the hair by pinching the strands), paper tapes- silver, gold or white twine-mizuhiki.

In maiko Kyoto, the type of hairpins is strictly defined for each month: for example, in March they wear kanzashi with colza inflorescences, in April - with sakura flowers, etc. In addition, the maiko's hairstyle changes as you progress from the initial stages of training to the higher ones. ( Note per .: for details about all the changes in the attire and hairstyle of the maiko, see here: "From maiko to geisha: stages of training") Most of these changes affect the bun-mage and the back of the hairstyle, and the hair in front - maegami - and on the sides - bin - almost do not change. When drawing a maiko, don't forget about the rule of matching their hairpins to the months of the year (below, in section 8, this is described in more detail, but still, when you get started, do not be lazy and check on the net how the design you have chosen corresponds to reality).

7. Bangs. Loose hair. Personal hygiene in the Edo period

You can often find drawings that seem to be made in the "Japanese" style - kimono, variations on the theme of nihongami - but on them the hairstyles are complemented by fluffy bangs falling on the forehead, loose strands of hair, etc. When depicting modernity, there is not much difference whether to draw a cropped bang or an open forehead. But if the picture claims to be historic and is dedicated to oiran, geishas, ​​girls of the Edo period, then any semblance of bangs is absolutely excluded. Fantasy can be shown when depicting our time, for example, girls who came to the Gion Matsuri in yukata, with artificial flowers in their hair dyed in fashionable red color. If you cannot accept the lack of bangs, then it is better to switch to modern or fantasy drawing. (It is worth noting that a Hollywood movie called "Sayuri" ( approx. lane: in Russian box office - "Memoirs of a Geisha") is a complete lie in everything that concerns Gion's maiko. Please do not under any circumstances use it as a source of information about hairstyles, hair ornaments, kimonos, as it is full of lies.)


Torii Kiyonaga. Beauty woman taking a bath


Why didn't they wear cropped puffy bangs in the Edo era? Yes, because then the hair was insanely dirty. Even oiran and yujo only washed their hair once a month, during their only day off yu:kaku(遊郭) - a quarter of brothels. On other days, the hair was only combed with a fine comb, removing dandruff. In addition, a styling product called bintsuke oil (びんつけ, Jap. bintsuke), made from the same raw materials as Japanese candle wax. This is a white mass, hard as lard, which can hardly be warmed and softened in the hands. Bintsuke glued the strands and made the hair very sticky. (And today, bintsuke are used in kabuki and traditional Japanese dance: when they apply white makeup, first lubricate the skin with bintsuke, creating a base for makeup. As a result, all the pores are clogged, and the skin does not sweat. Oshiroi (おしろい, Jap. oshiroi), diluted to the consistency of water. Horror...)

Bintsuke makes the hairstyle very hard (think of a sumo wrestler's bun). It is said that modern maiko, when they wash their hair once a week, first wash off the oil by soaking their hair in hot water (about 60-70 degrees), then wash it 10 times with soap, and then 3 times with shampoo, until bintsuke, finally, will not clear completely. (Sumo wrestlers are rumored to wash their hair with dish soap, even though it ruins their hair.)

However, in the Edo period there was no soap, and apart from washing in hot water, only flour dissolved in water and boiled funori seaweed were used to cleanse the hair and absorb dirt. Besides hot water was very expensive, because it required a lot of fuel to warm it. (Actually, just 40 years ago in Japanese public baths, there was a separate fee for shampooing called sempatsu-ryo (洗髪料, Jap. senpatsuryo:). Therefore, the beauties from Utamaro's engravings, after washing their hair, before smearing their hair with bintsuke oil, first combed them up so that they did not hang down on their faces. By this they protected the face and clothes from pollution. If you were banned from using shampoo for a month, you would also secure your bangs with hairpins and lift them up so that your hair does not touch your forehead.

I will add that women pulled the collar of the kimono back and down to prevent the clothes from touching the hair, otherwise the oil would be absorbed into the collar of the kimono. And the townspeople of the Edo era also wore a false collar made of black satin (smooth slippery fabric) over the collar of everyday clothes, designed to prevent the oil on their hair from staining the kimono itself.

Given all of the above, the hair that fell on the face meant that the hairstyle simply collapsed, and there could be two explanations for this: either the woman is so exhausted and poor that she cannot even afford to worry about her hair, or she is in madness or despair. In kabuki, there are two famous scenes in which the heroines are shown distraught with despair - this is the daughter of the greengrocer Oshichi (お七, Jap. osit) in the fire tower scene (火の見櫓, Jap. hee no miyagura) and Heron Girl (鷺娘, Jap. sagimusume) in the scene of "hellish torture" (地獄の責め, Jap. jigoku no seme). In both cases, the heroines are in life-critical circumstances. Mad desperation in kabuki is depicted by the following hairstyle: the hair in front (maegami) and the side parts of the hairstyle (bin) remain as they were, and the mage knot of the tsubushi-shimada is unraveled. Thus, the hairstyle turns into a likeness ponytail, freely falling on the shoulders; the kanoko ribbon, which was tied around the mage, is untied and its ends hang freely at the back. And, to further emphasize the state of the heroine, the actor shakes his head with disheveled hair back and forth in the dance.

In the fashion of the Edo era, there was another technique when strands were deliberately left to hang freely in certain places - this was called shike (シケ, Jap. sike) and was considered very elegant: in front they left small strands, as if by chance, knocked out of the hairstyle, only not one at a time, but always in pairs - symmetrically on both sides of the forehead, - and neatly laid.

In addition, both in the West and in Japan from the Meiji era to the end of the Taisho era, women striving to be fashionistas did not cut their bangs: long, straight hair along the entire length was valued. Therefore, please do not portray the girls of that era with thick bangs and strands hanging from the hair.


Drawing notes:

1. "Crazy Despair": the shimada's hair knot is unraveled and turned into a ponytail, the ends of the kanoko ribbon, previously tied around the mage, now hang freely.

2. An example of strands that seem to have accidentally come out of the hair: in order to emphasize sexuality, romance, fatigue, they deliberately left small strands outside the hair (required on both sides of the forehead). This technique was called shike (シケ, Jap. sike).

8. Tsumami-saiku - the art of making flowers from silk for "flower hairpins" of hana-kanzashi

Tsumami Kanzashi (つまみかんざし, Japanese) tsumami kanzashi) are hairpins with artificial flowers made from chirimen (ちりめん, Jap. chirimen, - a type of crepe de chine), which were worn by unmarried girls of the Edo era (now they continue to be worn by maiko).

Currently, they are more often used for their manufacture. synthetic fabrics- nylon or polyester, the edges of which melt and form lumps when heated, unlike silk, which does not harden when heated. Then the edges are carefully sewn together so that the sections do not look out, and then the flower is given desired shape by turning the slices outward.

The method of manufacture, or rather, their design is as follows:

1. A square piece of fabric is folded diagonally to form a triangle.

2. The folds that form the edges of the petal are made by combining both sharp corners and adding them along the median of the triangle towards the top.

3. If you try to straighten the folds and lift the middle up, you will get a teardrop-shaped part. This is our first petal.
4. From 5 such petals a flower is obtained.
5. In the center of the golden thread or paper twine-mizuhiki make the core of the flower. The type of flower varies depending on the shape of the core. This completes the creation of a plum or sakura flower.
6. From several of these flowers create a spherical inflorescence.

If this is a kanzashi for a beginner maiko, then teardrop-shaped parts folded in a triangle are glued to threads (for example, from fine wool) and a part hanging down is created from them, like a garland, which is then hung from a rounded inflorescence.

September: large-flowered broadbell (桔梗, Jap. kikyo:)

October: chrysanthemum

November: yellow leaves maple momiji (椛, Jap. momiji)

December: kaomise no maneki(顔見世のまねき): in pine branches- small wooden plaques that maiko give to their favorite kabuki actors before the New Year to sign them with their name.
(Note. per. - you can see how the real kanzashi maiko look for each month.)

9. Samples of tsumami saiku hairpins. Their use in the hairstyle of a young townswoman

Google image search is filled with photos of maiko, so as an alternative to them and as an example of real samples of kanzashi tsumami-saiku, I am posting a photo in a wig of a city girl from a Japanese dance piece "Heron Girl" ("Sagimusume"), which I was allowed to use ( in addition, the face is processed for confidentiality purposes). This hairstyle corresponds to the social position of a young wealthy city woman of the Edo era.

It must be said that white silk clothes are worn here solely for the convenience of quickly changing the actor's clothes in the course of the play. In fact, city girls with such a hairstyle wore bright red or purple furisode ( approx. per. - girl's kimono with very long sleeves ), the collar was usually covered with black satin ( smooth fabric to prevent soiling of clothing).

The tsubushi-shimada hairstyle in the photo is the work of a professional master, a manufacturer of traditional Japanese wigs - katsura. As you can see, this wig is equipped with all possible decorations almost fully equipped, so to speak.

Here they are wearing: "crested" (房付き, Jap. bo:tsuki- "with a tuft") temari-kanzashi, made in the technique of tsumami-saikou, tsumami-saikou comb, hairpin with the figure of a bird, flat chased hairpin-nejime (根締め, Jap. nejime, i.e. held in the hair by pinching strands) with elements of tsumami-saikou, the base of the maegami is tied with a ribbon of chirimen silk, in the center of the mage - tegara red fabric (手絡, Jap. tegara- this is a strip of fabric that is tied around the mage), under the mage are attached takenaga (タケナガ) decorations made of mizuhiki paper.

Tsubushi-shimada with temari decorations can often be seen in kabuki when city girls appear in the story: for example, in the play about the joint suicide "Osome and Hisamatsu" (弁天小僧), in "Benten Kozo" (お染久松, Jap. benten kozo:) and etc.


Explanations for the figure (top to bottom, right to left):

Kanzashi in the form of a "tufted" temari ball (from tsumami-saikou petals)

Metal nejime-kanzashi (i.e. hairpin held in hair by pinching)

Crest

red ribbon in maegami

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Traditional Kyoto geisha hairstyles

I found material on the Internet about geisha hairstyles, the author, as I understood from the text, scanned part of the book, so everything is accurately and in detail told there. A few words about geisha hairstyles for those who are not in the subject. An indispensable attribute is her hairstyle, which was formed in the Edo era and has survived to this day almost unchanged. Traditional Japanese hairstyles are called nihongs, now this term is also used to describe modern hairstyles that can be worn with kimono without disturbing the ensemble. Exquisite geisha hairstyles require a lot of effort and money, so they are made in hairdressers no more than once a week. First, the master or his assistant washes his hair with soap to get rid of dandruff, this is a very common problem among geishas. After this procedure, the master roughly combs the hair with a wooden comb, and then, to give the hair a beautiful shine, rubs camellia oil into it. The next step is hair treatment with melted wax. This wax is called bintsuke or bintsuke-abura, it is the basis for many natural cosmetics in Japan. Including - hair pomade, the very wax-like paste with which hair is thickly smeared so that they do not crumble and generally stand to death. Produced from the fruit partitions of the tree hazenoki. The composition of the wax also includes various floral fragrances, so that it smells pleasant. Sumo wrestlers, who also regularly use bandsuke for their ponytails, are said to have an irresistible attraction to women, in part due to the fragrance emanating from their hair. A geisha is at first very proud of her hair, but after three or four days she begins to suffer. In order not to spoil your hair, you have to sleep not on an ordinary pillow, but on a special stand takamakure, this is such a support for the base of the neck, stuffed with straw, but it is not comfortable to sleep on it. Next, we look at the types and styles of geisha hairstyles.

traditional hairstyles Japanese geishas formed in the Edo era (1600-1868) under the influence of the culture of China and Korea and have survived to this day almost unchanged. But every year there are less and less true connoisseurs of traditional Japanese hairstyles. What is it connected with? And the thing is that this knowledge (as well as knowledge in other areas of Japanese culture) is passed down from generation to generation and is carefully hidden from prying eyes. Each Hanamachi (analogous to the "red light district") has always had its own kamyui-shi. Kamiyui literally translated from Japanese language means - a master of knitting knots from hair or simply a hairdresser. And kamyui-shi is a more respectful name, like our hairdresser. And traditionally women have always been such kamiyu-shi and they passed on their knowledge only to their daughters.

Part of Tetsuo Ishihara's book "Nihongami no sekai" is devoted to the hairstyles of the geishas of Kyoto. We will get to know them today, but first you need to get a little familiar with the “career ladder” of geishas, ​​because their hairstyles directly depend on career growth.

Girls who decide to enter the path of a geisha first become "shikomi" (something like servants). And the first hairstyle they do when they receive the status of "minarai", which in Japanese means "look and learn." For about one month, the minarai takes part in the drinking of their older girlfriends with clients only as a decoration of the evening. Watching and learning. Minarai can only be distinguished from a beginner maiko by their shortened obi belt. In all other respects, the hairstyle and clothes are practically the same. The maiko belt is about twice as long as the minarai you can see in this photo:

After a month, when the minarai learns how to properly wear clothes and hair, she becomes a novice maiko. The first hair style of minarai and maiko beginners is called Wareshinobu.

Characteristic details:

A strip of red kanoko silk tied under the hair around the base of the bun (it looks like an open (split) peach, which is why initially, at the end of the 19th century, this hairstyle was called "momoware" and was worn by girls and young girls);

The very top of the bundle is decorated with a "kanokodome" pin-brooch;

A strip of red silk tied in a knot around the base of the maemage (a bundle collected from hair directly above the forehead) - "arimachikanoko";

Hairpin richly decorated with silk "tsumami kanzashi" in its incarnation "shidare kanzashi" - with garlands of silk flowers;

A wide, flower-decorated "maezashi" is an analogue of the comb for this hairstyle (in especially formal cases, the maezashi is replaced by a tortoiseshell kushi comb).

After one or two years of performances as a beginner maiko, the girl gains enough experience to move to the next rung of the career ladder. She becomes the senior maiko. And after the mizuage ceremony, her hair style changes:

Fukuwage or ofuku is the hairstyle of the elder maiko, maiko-oneesan. Characteristic details:

A strip of red kanoko silk with a white fine pattern, tied around the base of the bundle, forms a triangle in its lower part (no kanokodome!);

Red silk bow "arimachicanoko";

Tsumami kanzashi, but without garlands of flowers;

Maezashi, which can also be replaced with a tortoiseshell comb on formal occasions.

The senior maiko, who can remain in this position for several years, wears special hairstyles on special occasions that differ from the usual, casual style. So, for example, during Kyoto Gion Mansuri (month of July) she wears Katsuyama's hairstyle.

Characteristic details:

Kanoko of the same color as for everyday hairstyle, tied with a roller at the base of the bun at the back;

Magekazari attached under the kanoko;

Arimachikanoko above the forehead;

Tsumami kanzashi - a hairpin with a silk flower (flowers) on the left above the forehead

Maezashi (comb) decorated with flowers.

Yakkoshimada - worn with a strictly formal kimono in a special way solemn occasions: celebrating the New Year (on the geiko calendar - December 13), Hassaku and for several recent weeks before becoming a geiko. Characteristic details:

Jewelry made from natural tortoiseshell - kushi comb and kanzashi studs;

A bunch decorated with "tamakazari" - coral beads;

Common to all maiko, red silk kanoko bows above the forehead and under the bun.

The most recent hairstyle that maiko-san wears before becoming a full-fledged qualified geiko:

Sakko - worn for a week or two immediately before the ceremony "erikae" - changing the color of the collar - and becoming a qualified artist of a wide profile, geiko-san. In late Edo times, a similar hairstyle was worn by young girls who had just married. Characteristic details:

Jewelry (comb and hairpins) - from natural tortoise shell;

Lengthening hair with special overlays made of natural hair (such as a chignon), that's what the tail hangs over the bun - it is;

The complex design of the beam itself.

A full-fledged geiko nowadays usually wears a wig in situations where it is necessary to be present "in full dress". Such is the privilege of merit. In very rare, ceremonial situations, special hairstyles can also be worn:

Geiko shimada - worn exclusively for strictly formal tea ceremonies. Full set natural tortoiseshell jewelry.

Miyako-odori yo Chuushimada - special hairstyle, worn by both maiko and geiko of the Gion Kobu quarter only during the Miyako Odori, the spring dance festival in Gion Kobu, and only for the final communal dance when all the maiko and geiko dance together. On the street, you are unlikely to see a geiko or maiko with such a hairstyle.

The floral decorations for this hairstyle are completely unique and are made anew every year, especially for a particular festival.

An indispensable attribute of a geisha is her hairstyle, which was formed in the Edo era and has survived to this day almost unchanged. Traditional Japanese hairstyles are called nihongs, now this term is also used to describe modern hairstyles that can be worn with kimono without disturbing the ensemble. Exquisite geisha hairstyles require a lot of effort and money, so they are made in hairdressers no more than once a week. First, the master or his assistant washes his hair with soap to get rid of dandruff, this is a very common problem among geishas. After this procedure, the master roughly combs the hair with a wooden comb, and then, to give the hair a beautiful shine, rubs camellia oil into it. The next step is hair treatment with melted wax. This wax is called bintsuke or bintsuke-abura, it is the basis for many natural cosmetics in Japan. Including - lipstick for hair, the same wax-like paste, which is thickly smeared on hair so that it does not crumble and generally stands to death. Produced from the fruit partitions of the tree hazenoki. The composition of the wax also includes various floral fragrances, so that it smells pleasant. Sumo wrestlers, who also regularly use bandsuke for their ponytails, are said to have an irresistible attraction to women, in part due to the fragrance emanating from their hair. A geisha is at first very proud of her hair, but after three or four days she begins to suffer. In order not to spoil your hair, you have to sleep not on an ordinary pillow, but on a special stand takamakure, this is such a support for the base of the neck, stuffed with straw, but it is not comfortable to sleep on it. Next, we look at the types and styles of geisha hairstyles.

The traditional hairstyles of Japanese geishas were formed in the Edo period (1600-1868) under the influence of the culture of China and Korea and have survived to this day almost unchanged. But every year there are less and less true connoisseurs of traditional Japanese hairstyles. What is it connected with? And the thing is that this knowledge (as well as knowledge in other areas of Japanese culture) is passed down from generation to generation and is carefully hidden from prying eyes. Each Hanamachi (analogous to the "red light district") has always had its own kamyui-shi. Kamiyui literally translated from Japanese means - a master of knitting knots from hair or simply a hairdresser. And kamyui-shi is a more respectful name, like our hairdresser. And traditionally women have always been such kamiyu-shi and they passed on their knowledge only to their daughters.

Part of Tetsuo Ishihara's book "Nihongami no sekai" is devoted to the hairstyles of the geishas of Kyoto. We will get to know them today, but first you need to get a little familiar with the “career ladder” of geishas, ​​because their hairstyles directly depend on career growth.

Girls who decide to enter the path of a geisha first become "shikomi" (something like servants). And the first hairstyle they do when they receive the status of "minarai", which in Japanese means "look and learn." For about one month, the minarai takes part in the drinking of their older girlfriends with clients only as a decoration of the evening. Watching and learning. Minarai can only be distinguished from a beginner maiko by their shortened obi belt. In all other respects, the hairstyle and clothes are practically the same. The maiko's belt is about twice as long as that of the minarai.

After a month, when the minarai learns how to properly wear clothes and hair, she becomes a novice maiko. The first hair style of minarai and maiko beginners is called Wareshinobu.

Characteristic details:

A strip of red kanoko silk tied under the hair around the base of the bun (it looks like an open (split) peach, which is why initially, at the end of the 19th century, this hairstyle was called "momoware" and was worn by girls and young girls);

The very top of the bundle is decorated with a "kanokodome" pin-brooch;

A strip of red silk tied in a knot around the base of the maemage (a bundle collected from hair directly above the forehead) - "arimachikanoko";

Hairpin richly decorated with silk "tsumami kanzashi" in its incarnation "shidare kanzashi" - with garlands of silk flowers;

A wide, flower-decorated "maezashi" is an analogue of the comb for this hairstyle (in especially formal cases, the maezashi is replaced by a tortoiseshell kushi comb).

After one or two years of performances as a beginner maiko, the girl gains enough experience to move to the next rung of the career ladder. She becomes the senior maiko. And after the mizuage ceremony, her hair style changes:

Fukuwage or ofuku - the hairstyle of the eldest maiko, maiko-oneesan. Characteristic details:

A strip of red kanoko silk with a white fine pattern, tied around the base of the bundle, forms a triangle in its lower part (no kanokodome!);

Red silk bow "arimachicanoko";

Tsumami kanzashi, but without garlands of flowers;

Maezashi, which can also be replaced with a tortoiseshell comb on formal occasions.

The senior maiko, who can remain in this position for several years, also wears special hairstyles on special occasions that differ from the usual, everyday style. So, for example, during Kyoto Gion Mansuri (month of July) she wears Katsuyama's hairstyle.

Characteristic details:

Kanoko of the same color as for everyday hairstyle, tied with a roller at the base of the bun at the back;

Magekazari attached under the kanoko;

Arimachikanoko above the forehead;

Tsumami kanzashi - a hairpin with a silk flower (flowers) on the left above the forehead

Maezashi (comb) decorated with flowers.

Yakkoshimada - worn with a strictly formal kimono on especially solemn occasions: the celebration of the New Year (according to the geiko calendar - December 13), Hassaku and during the last few weeks before becoming a geiko. Characteristic details:

Jewelry made from natural tortoiseshell - kushi comb and kanzashi studs;

A bunch decorated with "tamakazari" - coral beads;

Common to all maiko, red silk kanoko bows above the forehead and under the bun.

The most recent hairstyle that maiko-san wears before becoming a full-fledged qualified geiko:

Sakko - worn for a week or two immediately before the ceremony "erikae" - changing the color of the collar - and becoming a qualified artist of a wide profile, geiko-san. In late Edo times, a similar hairstyle was worn by young girls who had just married. Characteristic details:

Jewelry (comb and hairpins) - from natural tortoise shell;

Lengthening hair with special overlays made of natural hair (such as a chignon), that's what the tail hangs over the bun - it is;

The complex design of the beam itself.

A full-fledged geiko nowadays usually wears a wig in situations where it is necessary to be present "in full dress". Such is the privilege of merit. In very rare, ceremonial situations, special hairstyles can also be worn:

Geiko shimada - worn exclusively for strictly formal tea ceremonies. A complete set of natural tortoiseshell jewelry.

Miyako-odori yō Chuushimada is a special hairstyle worn by both the maiko and geiko of the Gion Kobu quarter only during the Miyako Odori, the spring dance festival in Gion Kobu, and only for the final communal dance when all the maiko and geiko dance together. On the street, you are unlikely to see a geiko or maiko with such a hairstyle.

The floral decorations for this hairstyle are completely unique and are made anew every year, especially for a particular festival.

And this is how regular geiko hairstyles worn for formal situations look like:

The career growth of the courtesans from Shimabara goes about the same, but the differences in hairstyles are quite noticeable. The hairstyle of a beginner maiko from Shimabara looks like this:

Wareshinobu - practically the same as the beginner maiko Gion Kobu, except for the decorations. Instead of a red "arimachikanoko" bow, a small pillow with a large number of tortoiseshell hairpins bekko sei kanzashi is placed under the hair roller in front.

Tachibanakuzushi is another variation on the theme of the mandarin tachibana.

Kansuzume - "Frozen Sparrow", with a sparrow bird. Please note: this is also a variation on the "wareshinobu" theme.

Otoko genroku - "male genroku"

Onna genroku - "Genroku woman". The last two hairstyles differ only in the width of the protruding beam. Genroku is a period of time in Japanese history (1688-1715). It is considered the peak of the development of the culture of the Edo period.

Osafune - "Long Boat" - is a tayu hairstyle worn during formal tea ceremonies. (Tayu is the top geisha)

Sagegami is the last hairstyle I melt. Tayu wore this hairstyle for their last Douchuu parade procession just before leaving the business (due to marriage or seniority).


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