Post by Kiyoaki on Jan 6, 2003 22:39:22 GMT -5
INTRODUCTION
This is merely an introductory message for those who collect these types of garments. I want to attempt constructing a comprehensive survey of the various items that are worn in services for both Shinto and Buddhist rites. Initially, this essay will lack structure, but in time (and after many revisions) that defect may be laid to rest. This effort is therefore likely to be flawed by my mistatements, contradictions and lacunae, but as an eternal 'work in progress', many of those problems may be corrected over time. I want this posting to serve as a lightning rod for further comments and hopefully new information.
Basically, we will divide our subject into two major categories. On the one hand we have Shinto dress, which is based upon various modes of Japanese dress. At the other extreme, we have the Buddhist tradition which draws its' forms from non-native sources.
In the case of Shinto, the hierarchical differences are few and largely determined by the importance of each establishment. A typical costume will likely include some underobe in native style, a jacket with large, full sleeves, and a pair of loose pleated culottes. Color schemes may also be determined by the relative prestige of each shrine.
However, in the Buddhist tradition, the models are fewer and based upon those of foreign origin. However, once established in Japan, each sect has developed its' own version and consequently forms have multipled. Today there are a great variety of those forms, so although hierarchial considerations such as color selection are also at work, those distinctions pale in relationship to the form an individual garment takes.
SHINTO
In Shinto the earliest form that has come down to us is actually worn by a priestess. The most important shrine in Japan is undoubtably the Grand Shrine at Ise. This was probably the tutelary establishment for the Yamato clan, which came to dominate Japan in the Kofun Period.
As such, a female relative of the Tenno (Emperor) was required to serve as High Priestess there. Her dress probably varied somewhat over time, but essentially consisted of a plain white robe on the pattern of a kosode, and red hakama (minus any obi). This form of dress was worn by attendants as well, although the length of the hakama and quality of textiles employed, probably varied with the importance of one's duties at the shrine.
At almost all other Shinto shrines, a priest conducts the rites. His dress is largely modeled after Heian and Kamakura period wear. In the Heian or courtier prototype, a bloused hakama is worn instead of the shorter version favored by the samurai, and the color combinations which distinguish the various court ranks are observed. Typically, a large-sleeved jacket, which was part of formal court dress, is worn over the hakama.
Jo-e [pure cloth]: A descriptive term that denotes plain dress worn for ceremonial (religious) rites. Styles can vary, but the term is best defined by the abscence of applied or woven decoration in the cloth in either white or yellow tints.
BUDDHISM
Donjiki:
Ho-mo: A style of ceremonial dress for Buddhist clerics derived (in part) from official Heian court dress. The 'ho-mo' is actually two distinct (but matching garments) that are worn as a set.
The upper portion is named after the outer garment called "ho", which was worn by male courtiers in the Heian Period. It had full (square) sleeves, which were only seamed along the upper crescent of the shoulders. Its' double-breasted front had a round collar with a toggle closure at the neck. The robe's hem stopped short of the ankles and wide bands joined the front and rear panels into a unified whole so as to form an unbroken skirt.
At some point, the Heian ho was radically modified by removing the lower half of the robe and replacing it with a pleated, wrap-around skirt that held the lapels of the jacket closed. This second garment was called 'mo', and was worn over two pairs of loose, ankle-length trousers. The clerical 'ho' had a v-shaped neckline (instead of the round Heian look), and the collar was deepened in back so that it acted as a muffler.
These changes suggest to me that originally, 'ho' did refer to a specific garment, but over time it came to convey a sense of semi-formal dress, rather than any specific garment. In the West for example, the term 'jacket' was originally a short, cloth coat worn by French workmen. Later, when it came to refer to the upper half of a man's suit, it suggested semi-formal dress (as in: jacket and trousers). Now it refers to any long-sleeved coat that doesn't reach below the knee and has taken on an informal connotation.
Its' appearance resembles the 'hitatare' worn by the 'bushi' class and may have been adopted by the newer Buddhist sects during the Kamakura Period. However, these garments were not exclusively worn by the Buddhist clergy alone. All in all the single thing that really distinguished the ho + mo as ecclesiastical dress, is the addition of the kesa and ohi.
Kesa: The 'kesa' is typically rectangular in shape and is draped toga-like under the right arm and then secured at the opposite shoulder. Except for the sleeves and the collar line, it covers most of the ho+mo. Its' size can vary considerably, but a usual proportion of 1:2 is observed.
The word 'kesa' is derived from 'kasaya', which orignated in Buddhist India. The original word meant "colored" and suggested the mottled appearance of the garment, which in early Buddhist tradition were made from discarded scraps of cloth.
When introduced into China, Imperial patronage there altered the tradition through the donation of the finest textiles for the use of the clergy. However, to honor the earlier tradition, whole cloth was cut to pieces so it could be reassembled as patchwork clothing. This is the tradition, which entered Japan.
The Japanese kesa itself, is composed of a rectangular field, which is bordered by strips of complimentary or contrasting material. These border pieces are folded at the ends to produce tapered corners, which give the appearance of a mitered frame to the completed border. The inner field is made up of more strips of material that are seamed together to form a patchwork grid of rectangles and squares.
Finished seams can either be left plain, marked by cording, or covered over by additional strips of material. The reverse side of the finished kesa is usually lined with relatively plain material. In the larger examples, the lining may be made up of several widths of cloth, but in this instance the pieced-together appearance is incidental.
Cords are the most common type of fastener used to secure the kesa to the body, but rings and hooks of metal or stone are sometimes employed as well. Often, combinations of these two are also used.
The central field is composed of an odd-number of panels [jo] that span the width of the garment. Their number ranges from 5 - 25. At each of the inside corners (within the mitered border), a supplementary patch (often in a contrasting material) is placed upon the existing patches. These four decorative squares represent the Four Divine Kings that guard the cardinal points of the Buddhist world. Between one set of these squares, a further two are positioned along the length. These represent two historical disciples of the Buddha (or in other traditions, two bodhisattvas).
The number of strips in the field can either indicate the rank of the wearer or whether the kesa is meant for ordinary or ceremonial use. Five jo is typical for everyday wear. This type may not have the usual supplementary squares, but if it does, they will probably be made from plain material. The seven-jo kesa is worn at religious functions (performing ordination ceremonies or reading the sutras during a mass).
The remaining types (9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 & 25-jo) are worn at joint ceremonies [i.e. when several prelates are presiding] and serve to distinguish their relative rank within their sect rather than any religious distinction. These last nine types echo the traditional court hierarchies that were adapted from Chinese tradition.
Stylistically, most sects have their own version of the kesa. The esoteric sects [Tendai & Shingon] perhaps, follow the Chinese tradition more closely than other sects. Their kesa are likely to be fairly large [2:3 proportion; eg. 4' X 6'] and made from two types of material. One will serve as the central field and the other is laid over the major seams and often serves for the border. These materials tend to be either monochromatic or have very small figured patterns in them.
Ohi
Rakusa
Ikan: The semi-formal outerwear of a male, court official in the Heian Period. It was comprised of a "ho" worn over the "sashinuki"(full, bloused hakama), and topped off with a cap that designated official rank.
