Soyokaze - Heisei Era Geiko Hikizuri
Soyokaze - Gentle Breeze
This is my new ro geiko hikizuri. It features lovely pampas grass motifs which seem to be bending in a gentle breeze. There are also chinese bellflowers and what appears to be cock's comb flowers. Thanks to SingleMomSusie, I've learned that the large pink flower is some sort of Amaranthus. robsrainbarrels.com/images/Amaranthus1 rev1.JPG
This kimono came with a white hiyoku that was detached, I did some quick needle work and re-attached it last night.
Thanks to MissMyloko, I've been able to identify this hikizuri's previous owner. It belonged to the Tama Okiya in Gion Kobu. MissMyloko directed me to photos of Mayuha, Mamesuzu and Wakana wearing this hikizuri for hassaku.
Mayuha in 2007:
www.flickr.com/photos/mboogiedown/1353251394/
In this image Mayuha is standing near the centre with Suzuha behind her. In that image you can see the pink Amaranthus flower on her skirt. Also, the crests match the ones on my hikizuri
www.flickr.com/photos/31093817@N08/3235381952/
www.flickr.com/photos/31093817@N08/3235382120/
In these two images you can see Mayuha with Suzuha and the bellflower and sweet pea details on the right side of the hikizuri's skirt. Also, you'll notice that Mayuha's kimono is a three crested kurotomesode (the ones on the shoulders are missing) just like my hikizuri.
Mamesuzu 2008:
www.flickr.com/photos/nobuflickr/2777459863/
Here you can see Mamesuzu in this hikizuri. The hikizuri is difficult to identify in this image, but the sweet pea details are there as well as a hint of that pink flower on the left side. The shoulder crests are also missing.
Wakana 2009:
www.flickr.com/photos/23314901@N06/3785023156/
And here's Wakana. There's that pink amaranthus flower, the bellflower and sweet pea details as well as the matching crests!
Now the strange thing about this hikizuri is that all of these geisha belong to the Tama Okiya which has a Pulownia crest. Seen here on Suzuha's obi: www.flickr.com/photos/maclir/23958474/ Yet, this hikizuri has a definite Sensu shaped crest. As does the hikizuri that all three geiko are wearing. The question is, why would geiko wear crests other than those of their okiya? And why would an okiya even have a hikizuri with crests that belong to someone else? Or does this hikizuri have a much longer history than we suspect?
After making some inquiries of sources in the karyukai, I've come to learn that this kimono is one of a few "sisters" (identical kimono), that were owned by the Tama Okiya. These sister kimono were worn by geiko who play a special role in the hassaku festivities. I know for certain that the okiya formerly owned one five crested version and one three crested version. Mine is the three crested version, and the five crested version was sold shortly before mine. Meanwhile, the okiya CURRENTLY owns at least one more of these identical hikizuri. The crest seems to be that of a particular teacher, and all the geiko who wear it are her students. The number of crests also indicates the prominence of that geiko's role. Five crests would make her a more central participant and three slightly less central in nature. I don't know how long these sister kimono have been in use, or how long they will continue to be so, but they have been worn in every hassku at least as far back as 2007, and we have even found a photo of these kimono sisters being worn as far back as the 1960's.
This kimono being worn:
www.flickr.com/photos/13061699@N06/4427767269/in/photostr...
www.flickr.com/photos/13061699@N06/4427767391/in/photostr...
www.flickr.com/photos/13061699@N06/4427767471/in/photostr...
Soyokaze - Heisei Era Geiko Hikizuri
Soyokaze - Gentle Breeze
This is my new ro geiko hikizuri. It features lovely pampas grass motifs which seem to be bending in a gentle breeze. There are also chinese bellflowers and what appears to be cock's comb flowers. Thanks to SingleMomSusie, I've learned that the large pink flower is some sort of Amaranthus. robsrainbarrels.com/images/Amaranthus1 rev1.JPG
This kimono came with a white hiyoku that was detached, I did some quick needle work and re-attached it last night.
Thanks to MissMyloko, I've been able to identify this hikizuri's previous owner. It belonged to the Tama Okiya in Gion Kobu. MissMyloko directed me to photos of Mayuha, Mamesuzu and Wakana wearing this hikizuri for hassaku.
Mayuha in 2007:
www.flickr.com/photos/mboogiedown/1353251394/
In this image Mayuha is standing near the centre with Suzuha behind her. In that image you can see the pink Amaranthus flower on her skirt. Also, the crests match the ones on my hikizuri
www.flickr.com/photos/31093817@N08/3235381952/
www.flickr.com/photos/31093817@N08/3235382120/
In these two images you can see Mayuha with Suzuha and the bellflower and sweet pea details on the right side of the hikizuri's skirt. Also, you'll notice that Mayuha's kimono is a three crested kurotomesode (the ones on the shoulders are missing) just like my hikizuri.
Mamesuzu 2008:
www.flickr.com/photos/nobuflickr/2777459863/
Here you can see Mamesuzu in this hikizuri. The hikizuri is difficult to identify in this image, but the sweet pea details are there as well as a hint of that pink flower on the left side. The shoulder crests are also missing.
Wakana 2009:
www.flickr.com/photos/23314901@N06/3785023156/
And here's Wakana. There's that pink amaranthus flower, the bellflower and sweet pea details as well as the matching crests!
Now the strange thing about this hikizuri is that all of these geisha belong to the Tama Okiya which has a Pulownia crest. Seen here on Suzuha's obi: www.flickr.com/photos/maclir/23958474/ Yet, this hikizuri has a definite Sensu shaped crest. As does the hikizuri that all three geiko are wearing. The question is, why would geiko wear crests other than those of their okiya? And why would an okiya even have a hikizuri with crests that belong to someone else? Or does this hikizuri have a much longer history than we suspect?
After making some inquiries of sources in the karyukai, I've come to learn that this kimono is one of a few "sisters" (identical kimono), that were owned by the Tama Okiya. These sister kimono were worn by geiko who play a special role in the hassaku festivities. I know for certain that the okiya formerly owned one five crested version and one three crested version. Mine is the three crested version, and the five crested version was sold shortly before mine. Meanwhile, the okiya CURRENTLY owns at least one more of these identical hikizuri. The crest seems to be that of a particular teacher, and all the geiko who wear it are her students. The number of crests also indicates the prominence of that geiko's role. Five crests would make her a more central participant and three slightly less central in nature. I don't know how long these sister kimono have been in use, or how long they will continue to be so, but they have been worn in every hassku at least as far back as 2007, and we have even found a photo of these kimono sisters being worn as far back as the 1960's.
This kimono being worn:
www.flickr.com/photos/13061699@N06/4427767269/in/photostr...
www.flickr.com/photos/13061699@N06/4427767391/in/photostr...
www.flickr.com/photos/13061699@N06/4427767471/in/photostr...