Foreign species are compassionately released into Edo’s Tango No Sekku festivities.
Japan, 1688 (Edo Period)
A ship slides silently into the metallic waters of Deijima island. It is the dead of night, and the piercing sliver of a new moon cuts the darkness like a blade. The fan-shaped island is Japan’s man-made trading post for the Dutch, and the harbour workers wait expectantly under the ink-black sky. The vessel has travelled the breadth of the earth and is carrying imports from foreign lands: raw silk from Bengal, sugarcane from Mexico and tea leaves from China, as well as living gifts for Shogun Tokugawa; this is a delicate time for trade relations, and the Dutch merchants offer wild species to the ruler as a gesture of respect.
As the ship docks, the terrified animals are unloaded by lamplight, nauseous from months upon the swelling waters. Their long journey to Edo is not yet at an end, several weeks travel by foot still await the weary cargo. Unsteady on their sea-legs, the creatures are loaded into wooden palanquin and hoisted aloft. A fresh, torturous rocking motion commences as the procession to Edo begins.
Through the slats of their wooden prisons, the animals see the lustrous moon complete a full cycle until the distant sounds and music of Edo are heard. As they draw closer, the tall banners and flags of Tango No Sekku (the festival of Boy’s Day) begin to sail over the procession of merchants. The annual celebration is in full swing; koinobori (paper carp-shaped streamers) fill the skies and houses are thatched with iris flowers. Samurai swords and miniature kabuto (helmets) are displayed outside each home to impressive effect. The traders halt on the outskirts of the great city; their path to Edo Castle is obstructed by the festivities so they decide to rest overnight one last time. The creatures’ wooden confines are set down, the sun takes a final bow, and the acute new moon takes its place. The living gifts will be presented with the new dawn.
Little to the Dutch travellers’ knowledge, their offerings will not please Japan’s ruler. Shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa has recently introduced a new edict, Orders on Compassion for Living Things, a series of animal welfare laws so eccentric and unparalleled, they forbid the mistreatment and confinement of any living creature on pain of capital punishment. Tokugawa’s government therefore actively promotes the act of Life Release; an ancient Buddhist practise of freeing captive animals and gaining personal merit in the process, performed on full moon and new moon days.
As the traders retreat to their tents, local revellers pass the encampment, journeying home. On seeing the caged beasts, the Edo residents are aghast; not only are the animals’ cries so pitiful as to wrench the coldest of hearts, but they fear lawful retribution by leaving them trapped. Moving quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping Dutchmen, the locals carefully release the wooden latches. Terrified at first, the creatures creep forth, their eyes adjusting to the new surroundings, their feet assessing the firm earth. With each furtive step, assertion takes hold. Mere seconds pass and the creatures bolt, disappearing into the night, lost in the festive decorations.
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Inspiration
This collection references the arts and culture of Edo period Japan. “Edo” (pronounced “Ed-Oh”) refers to both the city of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and a time from 1615-1868, during which fifteen generations of Tokugawa shogun ruled Japan.
Ukiyo-e / Pictures of the Floating World
One of the most prized artforms of the Edo period was Ukiyo-e, meaning literally, ‘pictures of the floating world’, a genre of richly detailed woodblock prints carried out in sumptuous colours. The phrase “the floating world” evoked an imagined universe of wit, stylishness, and extravagance, with overtones of hedonism and transgression.
Many Ukiyo-e scenes showed everyday life, but depictions of folklore and myth were also a frequent occurrence. I have made every effort to reference key elements of these aesthetically sublime creations in my works, from the palette to the compositions and the subject matter.
Tango No Sekku
Tango No Sekku (Boy’s Day festival) falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunisolar calendar and reaches far back to the feudal days of old Japan, including the Edo period. It originally exclusively celebrated boys but has since been changed to include all children. All things which tend to inspire military ardour in youthful hearts are displayed throughout the day; one feature of the festival being the miniature suits of armour which are laid out overnight. Families raise carp-shaped koinobori flags (a hollow paper fish which flies in the wind) on a long staff of bamboo, illustrated banners and bundles of iris flowers are also fixed up around the home.
Armorial Elements Including Kawari Kabuto
The Edo period was a time of military peace in Japan, so elaborate Samurai armour was worn only on ceremonial occasions. This meant the multiple craftsmen, including blacksmiths and lacquerers, weavers and leatherworkers, involved in armour manufacture had the opportunity to add more flourish and zeal to their creations, and to take more time over each piece. From the tiniest elements such as the circular tsuba (sword guards), detailed yanone (arrowheads) and the intricate pairs of menuki (sword grips), every element of the processional armour and weaponry became elaborate and detailed, often moulded and carved in animal form. One of the most striking armorial features to emerge from the Edo period are kawari kabuto (strange helmets). Armorers began to build fantastical shapes on top of the simple helmets; These shapes referenced forms prevalent in Japanese culture and mythology, including animal ears and horns, fish and insects, grotesque faces, and seashells. Many of these forms took on an abstract, often futuristic feel. I have endeavoured to include many of these armorial details in my illustrations.
International Animal Imports
By the late 1630s (during the Edo period), Japan’s self-imposed isolation (Sakoku) began when all contact with the outside world was cut off through official prohibition of foreigners. Restricted trade with Dutch merchants only was permitted through Deijima Island off the coast of Nagasaki. Within this time, various foreign animals were brought into Japan via Nagasaki by boat, such as an ostrich (1658), canaries (1709), a crocodile (1780), an orangutang (1792), a white bear (1799), and a lion (1865). Many of these animals were imported by foreign monarchs to be presented to a shogun.
Zoological Illustrated Manuscripts
The zoological illustrated manuscripts created by local artists of the time, such as Kawahara Keiga, Kai Chigusa, and Yochiro Hirase were a great influence on this collection. From those secretly commissioned by the Dutchman Philip Franz von Siebold - one of earliest attempts to describe/depict Japanese animals outside of Japan before his eventual expulsion - to Chuju-Zui, Geishi and the breathtaking manuscript, Jurui Shinzu, now housed at The British Library (I was fortunate enough to handle this tome in-person). Many of these illustrations featured written texts in Japanese script; notes detailing measurements, peculiar characteristics and describing the animal’s habits or habitats. I have included a similar style of text in my works, from measuring the creatures’ physical forms to short poems sketching out a narrative of the composition, loosely inspired by haiku and waka verse.
Orders on Compassion for Living Things/Tract on Refraining from Killing and on Releasing Life
In 1680, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa assumed the fifth shogunate of the Edo period. He is most famous for issuing a series of civil codes on animal protection from 1687 until 1709, which are collectively called the Orders on Compassion for Living Things. These animal welfare laws, which are unparalleled in world history, even allowed capital punishment for those who abused animals. While condemned for their extremism in many cases, these forerunners of animal welfare legislation were incredibly enlightened by the standards of the day and were unmatched at the time. Under Shogun Tsunayoshi’s rule, the Chinese Buddhist cleric Zhuhong’s Tract on Refraining from Killing and on Releasing Life became very influential, and likely influenced the Orders on Compassion for Living Things. As Zhuhong’s ethic of refraining from killing and releasing life was assimilated over the course of the Edo period, life releases were said to generate a variety of vital benefits for devotees and their families. Life releases have been carried out since the 3rd century, primarily on special occasions, including new moon and full moon days.
Process
View the collection illustrations in progress, and see how the drawings transform into detailed and intricate scarf designs. Sabina creates a story for each collection, as shown below, which is then illustrated and narrated through her elaborate handiwork.
The Campaign
Welcome to our our Autumn/Winter 2024 campaign, Escape into Edo.
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A range of beautiful fabrics are available for each design, from classic silk twill to our sumptuous signature wool and silk blend. Each piece is printed and hand finished by artisans in the UK.
