Raikan

The oldest extant raikan, 16th century. Worn by Tameyoshi Gojo at the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Go-Yōzei.

The raikan (Japanese: 礼冠, Hepburn: raikan, lit. 'ceremonial crown') is a type of crown worn by Japanese nobility. It was used until the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Kōmei in 1846.

Background

In ancient Japan, it was customary to place flowers, branches, and leaves of plants and trees as hair ornaments on the head or to wrap them around the head. These hair ornaments were called uzu (髻華) or kazura (鬘).

When Empress Suiko (reigned 593–628) established the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System in 603, gold and silver uzu were placed on cloth crowns (caps) that were color-coded according to rank. In a description of Japan in the Book of Sui (636), it is written, "In the Sui Dynasty, that (Japanese) king created the system of crowns for the first time. The crowns were made of brocade or patterned cloth, and were further adorned with gold or silver floral ornaments." Also, according to the article of December 603 in Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), on the first day of the year, uzu (髻花) was attached to the crown. Thus, later, metal floral ornaments were also called uzu.

In the Nara period (710-794), the "Taihō Code" and "Yōrō Code" clothing ordinances established the ceremonial dress, court dress, and uniforms to be worn by the crown prince and below. The raikan, together with the ceremonial dress, was the highest ceremonial attire worn at ceremonies such as chōga (朝賀, lit. 'New Year's greetings') and the enthronement ceremony, but later, when chōga was abolished, it came to be used only for the enthronement ceremony.

The raikan was used by the prince and those of the fifth rank and above. The emperor and the crown prince used the benkan, which is also called the raikan in a broader sense. At first, the raikan was only worn by civilian officials, but later the buraikan (武礼冠, lit. 'military ceremonial crown') was established for military officials.

The raikan is composed of an inner crown made of cloth and an outer crown made of metal that surrounds it, with flower stalks standing in a row around it and a halo-like ornament at the back of the crown. The floral arabesque design of the outer crown is thought to be descended from the ancient uzu and kazura, as well as from the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System.

Structure

Raikan, 18th century; the qilin in shirushi represents the raikan of the vassals

• Sanzankan (三山冠, lit. 'three mountain crowns'): This is the part corresponding to the inner crown. The koji (巾子), which holds the topknot, is called sanzankan because it forms the shape of three mountains. It is made of thin silk coated with black lacquer.
• Kanawa (金輪, lit. 'metal ring'): The outer crown that surrounds the sanzankan. It is made of metal and openworked with a floral arabesque design. Gold and silver are used according to rank. The raikan of the early modern period are exclusively gilded.
• Kōhai (光背, lit. 'halo'): Petal-shaped decoration behind the sanzankan. It is made of thin black silk stretched over a metal frame.
• Sue-tama (据玉, lit. 'fixed jewel'): A jewel attached to the top of the sanzankan crown. The jewel is attached to a petal-shaped metal plate.
• Tate-tama (立玉, lit. 'standing jewel'): A metal rod or wire stem with a jeweled ball attached to its tip. It stands around the outer crown.
• Shirushi (徴, lit. 'symbol'): An ornament on the front of the crown in the shape of a sacred beast. The sacred beast varies according to the rank of the person. Early modern shirushi are made of wood and covered with gold leaf.

See also

• Benkan
• Kanmuri

References

Notes

Sources