Japanese woodcut, ink, paper, 26x34 cm (diptych paper size), text in Japanese
The woodcut is from the encyclopedic series Kojitsu Sosho Reifuku Chakuyo-zu (translated as Wearing ceremonial garb), published in 1903 (Meiji 36) in Tokyo. The author of the woodcuts was Kosugi Unson, and the publisher was Yoshikawa Hansichi. Chakuyo Zu's Reifuku is an outstanding illustrative work depicting details of ceremonial attire worn at the Japanese court. The theoretical foundation for the illustrations was laid by philosopher Imaizumi Sadasuke (1863-1944), a scholar of the Kokugaku movement who emphasized Japanese classical studies.
The woodcut depicts the formal attire worn by court officials of early imperial Japan. Court attire was exceptionally ornate for those holding court rank and official positions. It consisted of colorful fabrics and accessories such as waragutsu (straw shoes), ogi (folding fan), and kanmuri (tall, black lacquered silk gauze hat worn by Shinto clergy, aristocrats and courtiers).
Raifuku (reifuku) refers to the formal clothing worn by nobles of the fifth rank and above, and worn during the New Year's court ceremony and the enthronement ceremony of the new emperor; they were introduced into the Japanese court and modeled on Chinese law. The attire of high officers was made of the highest quality elaborately decorated fabrics. Equipment included military weapons, including the katana (curved sword) or tachi (traditional sword).
Rikan (raikan, literally "ceremonial crown") was a type of crown worn by Japanese nobility. It was used until the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Kōmei in 1846. Rikan was used by the crown prince and persons of the fifth rank and above. The emperor and crown prince used the benkan, which is also called raikan in a broader sense. Initially, the raikan was worn only by civilian officials, but later the buraikan (literally military ceremonial crown) was established for military officials. The raikan consists of an inner crown made of cloth and an outer crown made of metal that surrounds it, with flower stems standing in a row around it and a halo-like ornament on the back of the crown.
