МАЭ № 13-34/8

Visiting a Shrine. Miyamari ceremony. Series “the Life of the Japanese”.

Japanese

1820s

silk textile, Japanese watercolours, ink, Japanese washigami paper, glue

35,1 × 46.3

This list depicts an entrance to a shrine with the torii gates. An infant is being carried into the shrine for the miyamairi ceremony, aimed to represent him to the kami-sama protecting from deleterious demons and illnesses. The infant is held in the arms of his grandmother (father’s mother) and wrapped in a red ritual kosode decorated with a pattern orizuru-komatsu composed of young pine trees and folded paper cranes. Pines and cranes symbolize prayers for long life. The infant’s father is holding an umbrella. He is followed by a maid carrying gifts for the shamanness. Coolies are waiting beside the kago palanquin. In the background we see a chouzu - a basin with running water with a hishaku ladle (the worshippers use the ladles to wash their hands and rinse out their mouths). The basin wall has an inscription: houyoritsuki, meaning "For believers making offerings." Hanging from the roof are papers on which worshippers have written their prayers, for instance: daikonjouju - “great success”.

Ethnographic drawing