Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CHIGO COSTUME

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

2006

Materials

SILK, COTTON, PAPER

No. Pieces

3

Description

1. WHITE PAPER PACKAGING THAT SECURES WITH STRING, HEIGHT 2.5, LENGTH 35.5, WIDTH 37.3. ON FRONT FLAP, PRINTED TEXT READS, "S. GIRL," IN BLUE AND BLACK PEN, "GIRLS (S)," IN PENCIL. JAPANESE TEXT LISTS BUDDHIST CLOTHING STORE IN TOKYO WHERE ARTICLES WERE PURCHASED. PAPER WRINKLED, WORN AND CORNERS BEND. CONDITION FAIR. 2. WHITE AND PURPLE PLEATED SKIRT, LENGTH 60.0, WIDTH 43.7. WHITE COTTON STRIPS ALONG WAIST EXTEND OUTWARDS, TYING AT EITHER SIDE OF THE SKIRT. SLIT EXTENDS ON EITHER SIDE OF SKIRT, FROM WAIST TO ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE LENGTH. FLORAL PATTERN ON SKIRT, COLOUR GRADIATES FROM WHITE TO PURPLE. CONDITION GOOD TO EXCELLENT 3. SHEER PINK TOP, LENGTH 62.0, WIDTH 93.0. SURAFCE DECORATED WITH GOLDEN FLOWERS AND BIRDS. SIDES AND FRONT OF TOP OPEN, WIDE SLEEVES WITH PURPLE AND WHITE TIES AT EITHER END. CONDITION GOOD TO EXCELLENT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

RELIGION

History

THIS CHIGO COSTUME WAS WORN BY SMALL GIRLS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A BUDDHIST CELEBRATION. IN JAPANESE, CHIGO TRANSLATES TO, “YOUNG CHILDREN.” THE TOP, TERMED A “KARIGINU” IN JAPANESE, HAS WIDE SLEEVES THAT ARE ONLY PARTIALLY CONNECTED AT THE SHOULDER TO THE REST OF THE TOP. ACCORDING TO PHOTOGRAPHS, BOYS AND GIRLS WOULD WEAR THE KARIGINU SUCH THAT THE ARMS DID NOT GO THROUGH THE SLEEVES. THE SKIRT, TERMED A “HAKAMA” IN JAPANESE, IS WORN OVERTOP THE KARIGINU. THE HAKANA IS ARRANGED SUCH THAT THE TIES ARE SITUATED ON THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE CHILD. IN ADDITION TO THE KARIGINU AND HAKANA, CHILDREN WORE CROWNS, HELD ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS, AND WORE THE MAKE-UP OF THE NOBILITY. THIS MAKE-UP, TERMED “KUGEMAYU” IN JAPANESE, CONSISTED OF TWO BLACK DOTS ON THE LOWER MIDDLE FOREHEAD. DURING IMPORTANT CELEBRATIONS, AN O’CHIGO PARADE WAS OFTEN HELD. CHILDREN, TYPICALLY 4 TO 10 YEARS OLD, WORE CHIGO COSTUMES. EITHER INSIDE THE CHURCH AROUND THE SHRINE OR OUTSIDE ALONG A STREET, THE MINISTER WALKED A SHORT DISTANCE WHILE RECITING SUTRA. FOLLOWING THE MINISTER SOMEONE TOSSED PAPER FLOWER PETALS. THE CHILDREN WALKED WHERE THE FLOWER PETALS FELL. IN 1961, REVERED KAWAMURA SR. LED A TOUR OF 55 BUDDHISTS AND NON-BUDDHISTS TO CELEBRATE THE 700TH MEMORIAL ANNIVERSARY OF SHINRAN SHONIN, THE FOUNDER OF SHIN BUDDHISM, AT THE MOTHER TEMPLE IN KYOTO, JAPAN. 50 O'CHIGO COSTUMES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS WERE PURCHASED AND GIVEN COLLECTIVELY TO THE BUDDHIST CHURCHES IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA AS A GIFT. IT IS LIKELY THAT THIS COSTUME REPRESENTS ONE OF THE GIFTED O'CHIGO COSTUMES. THIS CHIGO COSTUME WAS LAST WORN AT THE CALGARY BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN 2006 FOR A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM MAKIO AND REYKO NISHIYAMA AND MEMBERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN 2008, AND REVERED IZUMI IN 2009. FOR INFORMATION ON GIRL'S CROWN, SEE P20060018003. FOR INFORMATION ON BOY'S CHIGO COSTUME, SEE P20060018002. FOR IMAGES OF HOW A KIMONO SHOULD APPEAR UNDER THIS ARTIFACT, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE. ON APRIL 26, 2009 THE BUDDHIST TEMPLE OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA, LOCATED IN LETHBRIDGE, WAS THE SITE OF AN O-CHIGO CHILDREN’S PARADE, HELD AS PART OF THE TEMPLE’S DEDICATION CEREMONY. VISUAL DOCUMENTATION OF O-CHIGO COSTUMES, REPRESENTING THE ONE DONATED, CAN BE FOUND IN THE GALT’S ARCHIVES, RELATED TO THE 2009 DEDICATION EVENT. ADDITIONALLY, O-CHIGO RELATED PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF THE TABER BUDDHIST CHURCH IN THE GALT’S ARCHIVES. FINALLY, IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE ROYAL ALBERTA MUSEUM IS IN POSSESSION OF HISTORIC 40S ERA FOOTAGE OF TEMPLE EVENTS, RELATED TO THE RAM’S COLLECTION OF A SHRINE FROM PICTURE BUTTE.

Catalogue Number

P20070014000

Acquisition Date

2007-07

Collection

Museum

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