Traditional Japanese KOGEI "WAZA" @Iwate【Article No.5】
からくり箪笥とは？
A tansu is something that protects important items.
Iwayado Tansu has locks on the drawers and doors because it also served as a safe. That is not the only mechanism used to protect important items; most of the products are karakuri tansu, which have a hidden box called a shinobi attached to them.
The word shinobi is used as another name for ninja. It literally means something that has been concealed, or something that is secretly hidden so that people do not know about it. Since Iwayado Tansu was used as marriage furniture, the hidden box is thought to have originated from the parents’ concern for their daughter who was getting married, and they made the hidden box so that their daughter could hide something useful in it in case of trouble at the newlywed’s home. This shows that Iwayado Tansu played the role of storing not only clothes but also important items.
Some of the products showcased in this exhibition also contain shinobi, so please enjoy the device (karakuri).
Iwayado Tansu has locks on the drawers and doors because it also served as a safe. That is not the only mechanism used to protect important items; most of the products are karakuri tansu, which have a hidden box called a shinobi attached to them.
The word shinobi is used as another name for ninja. It literally means something that has been concealed, or something that is secretly hidden so that people do not know about it. Since Iwayado Tansu was used as marriage furniture, the hidden box is thought to have originated from the parents’ concern for their daughter who was getting married, and they made the hidden box so that their daughter could hide something useful in it in case of trouble at the newlywed’s home. This shows that Iwayado Tansu played the role of storing not only clothes but also important items.
Some of the products showcased in this exhibition also contain shinobi, so please enjoy the device (karakuri).
cap.) An example of shinobi hidden in karakuri tansu.
A look at different drawers that use traditional craftsmanship
the Karakuri TansuThere are a variety of different types of drawers that use the same type of craftsmanship as the drawers that are on offer in this project. One of those is a complicated style of drawer, that actually hides a set of drawers at the back of the larger drawers. These drawers were also created in the Edo Period and the manufacturing process has been passed down. Through the simple form of the drawers, a complex and ingenious design is hidden.
A look at what a medium sized karakuri set of drawers
①A medium sized karakuri set of drawers has 5 hidden compartments. It will introduce a part of.
②The middle section between the drawers can also be pulled out to reveal a secondary drawer hidden at the back.
③The hinged door on the drawers opens to reveal extra drawers.
④There is a paulownia drawer inside the door.
⑤When you take out both drawers you will find that they have a different depth to each other.
⑥At the back of the top drawer slot, a secret compartment can be found. The hidden drawer has a handle that lets you pull the drawers out.
箪笥は「大切なものを守る」もの
金庫としての役割も担ったことから、引き出しや扉に鍵が付いている岩谷堂箪笥。大切なものを守る仕組みはそれだけではなく、ほとんどの商品に「忍び」と呼ばれる隠し箱が付けられている「からくり箪笥」であることも特徴です。
「忍び」とは、「忍者」の呼称でもありますが、文字通り「忍ばせたもの」、つまり、「人に知られないように密かに隠したもの」のことで、これは、岩谷堂箪笥が嫁入り道具だったことから、親が娘を想い、嫁ぎ先で困った時に役立つものを忍ばせるために作った名残りだと考えられています。このことからも、洋服だけではなく、「大切なもの」をしまう役割を岩谷堂箪笥が担っていたことがわかります。
今回の商品の一部にも忍びが付けられているので、ぜひ仕掛け（からくり）を楽しんでください。