МАЭ № 13-34/35

Wedding Ceremony. Series “the Life of the Japanese”.

Japanese

1820-s

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

32.5×44.5

The list depicts the wedding ceremony proper. The bride and groom performing the san-san-kudo ritual - a three times exchange of three nuptial cups, which confirms their status as a married couple. Here the bride is holding the sakazuki cup. The groom sits to her left. Between them is a miniature landscape in which pine branches and cranes wish the couple a long, happy life. Behind the groom is a symbolic image depicting Mt. Meru (Shumisen). His parents are sitting to his right. In the foreground we see two performers wearing blue ritual kosode with the “one thousand birds” (chidori) designs, symbolizing of wishes for many children. On the left, we see a man watching the ceremony. He is apparently a servant sent by the bride’s parents to observe the ceremony (the bride’s parents do not themselves appear at this ceremony).

Ethnographic drawing