À la recherche du temps perdu — A Bonbonnière and the Memory of the Imperial Court — 1928
- Hamanaka Akiko
- Apr 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 20
A photograph from 1928, taken on the occasion of theEnthronement Ceremony of Emperor Shōwa.It shows my great-grandparents, who attended the ceremony at the Imperial Court.
At that time, the enthronement was still held in Kyoto.The previous one, for the Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Taishō, is said to have involved Nijō Castle as one of its associated venues.For Emperor Shōwa, the ceremonies took place at the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Shishinden Hall), followed by banquets over the course of two days.
My great-grandparents were among those in attendance.
Their attire was specially commissioned from Daimaru in Kyoto.
My great-grandmother had no idea how to prepare for such an occasion, and everything was arranged by a man named Oyama, who served as an aide to my great-grandfather.
Her hair was styled in the osuberakashi manner, using her own hair.I often wonder where, and by whose hands, it was arranged.
From the Taishō to early Shōwa period, it became customary in the Imperial Court to present guests with bonbonnières as souvenirs.
These were sourced from multiple makers, often through a process of comparison.Naturally, differences in craftsmanship existed.
According to historical records, silver bonbonnières were distributed at the grand banquets.However, the one my great-grandparents received was made of wood, decorated with raden (mother-of-pearl inlay).
It is modest, yet refined—quietly elegant in its presence.
My grandmother wrapped it in silk floss, then placed it inside a hand-sewn habutae silk pouch, preserving it carefully through the chaos of the postwar years.
My uncle once told me that my great-grandfather’s fine wool garments were altered and worn down during that time.The kouchigi robe, on the other hand, could not be sold—perhaps because it held no monetary value in the immediate aftermath of the war.
And so, by not being sold, it remained.
Now, it rests in my hands.
A small bonbonnière, no larger than my palm,through which I can glimpse the world my great-grandparents once inhabited.
The imperial chrysanthemum crest.Cranes in flight.
Each motif evokes a fragment of the Imperial Court.
What, then, was the Imperial Court like before the war?
I can only imagine—while gazing at this small object.
You may never wear a kimono. But you can wear the art of Wasai.
On ne porte pas forcément un kimono. Mais on peut porter l'art du Wasai.
— PASSIONEER
Comments