GRAND TRIO > THE GREAT PIECES (2)

N27, Nishikidori (pheasants)
Pheasant is the Japanese national bird. It appears in many old folk tales and is beloved by all Japanese. Nishikidori is particularly beautiful among pheasants.

N28, Onagadori (a long tailed cock)
All birds that have long tails are called Onagadori in Japan. They symbolize longevity and eternal familial prosperity. They are the birds of good omen.

SF43, Kaiawase (The clam game) on Mother of Pearls
Kai-awase: Kai is shell and Awase means matching. This is a game of shell matching. The design, Kai-awase is taken from the Tale of Genji. It is a type of a card game that has its origins in the Heian Era (794-1185). The game was played among the aristocrats, called Kai-awase or Kai-aoi, and instead of cards, clams were used. Each clam was separated into a right and a left piece, and corresponding pictures were painted on each pair. The winner was the player who found the most matching pieces. Today, this game is still played in several different ways, usually during the New Year Holidays, but using paper cards instead of clams. Today they call this game "Karuta" originating from the Spanish language similar to "cards" in English.


SF48, Maiko (A dancing girl)
Japan had been a country of men's society before recent years. In restaurants, called "Ozashiki," men were customers while women were workers, waitresses, dancers and entertainers. "Ozashiki" had "Yuujo", a kind of prostitute sometimes referred to as a "Geisha" by Westerners. These women mostly came from poor families and were not educated. There was another female profession called "Geisha"; these women dance and play instruments to entertain guests. "Maiko" was yet another female profession: these women performed dances on stage. The Maiko were educated in at least two kinds of performances: dancing and music, specifically how to play the "Shami-sen", a Japanese instrument that looks like a mandolin. Maiko would have to be apprenticed when they were ten years old, and it would take several years before they could be hired. Some Maiko were also very educated in "Haiku" (Japanese short form of poems), flower arranging, "Sado" (tea ceremony) or singing Japanese folk song or "Naniwabushi" (reciting mostly pathetic stories). There are many love stories about Geisha in the Japanese literature. And "Maiko" as a profession still exists today; it might be thought of as a role akin to a "Geisha" or "Yuujo" by Westerners.

SF62, Ryu vs ko
The dragon descending in the sky versus the tiger jumping up at it is the artist's own design. This simple-looking design in fact incorporates very complicated methods.