With this we will try to answer a question i received asking to examine the Kashi no Shiki ceremony practiced by Tayuu.
To achieve this we have to observe the ceremony in its detail. Luckily this is one of the few very well documented Tayuu traditions and very easy to find and study. But i would love to dissect it first, before we dive into the significance of the gestures at hand.
The setting is made up of the Tayuu, her Kamuro and her Hikifune. For this ceremony the whole room is made to feel intimate and silent with the only light source being two candles on each side of the Tayuu. Equally, she is flanked by her two Kamuro and her Hikifune is close by but usually behind the Tayuu, and she has an important role too.
While the Hikifune and Kamuro are already situated, the Tayuu makes an appearance by walking in slowly and reverently, sliding her feet on the mat. She holds the side hem of her uchikake between her extended fingers, takes a round step forward to sweep her floor-length hem away and slowly sits down on her knees. Here the first gesture of importance is noted: She grips the ends of her obi and displays the kokoro knot. With her right hand she then reaches for her sake cup, elegantly prodded up on a dedicated little tablestool while she continues to hold up the end of her obi with her left hand.
Very slowly she will lift up the cup, making sure to not touch the inside, the thumb stays firmly on the rim. First a circle motion is drawn with the cup as if she was looking into the sake cup like a mirror and while she does this, her whole upper body will follow this round movement while her eyes stay firmly fixed on the cup. When the movement has reached fill circle like in the photo above, the cup will be held up for the guest to see the cupâs inside. Now the cup will wander from right to left ad then back to the little stand. Here the Tayuu fixes her eyes upon her patrons. As soon as the cup is back, the Hikifune will call out the Tayuuâs name in a melodic introduction while the Tayuu again displays her kokoro knot with her hands in a swaying motion.
The Tayuu once more reaches for the cup and repeats the same movements, drawing a circle over her obi and then taking the cup from right to left and back again, posing it finaly on the stand. After this second round, the little stool is taken away by the Hikifune, but she cannot stand as long as the Tayuu is seated, so she slides forward and reaches for the stool and slides back to create some space for the Tayuuâs next steps.
Now the Tayuu stands up. Her movements are highly coordinated as she shimmys her arms to shake out her uchikake slightly. As she takes a few steps to turn her back to the viewer, the uchikake is now perfectly situated to be presented. And this is done by extending each arm while the Tayuu peers over her shoulder to her audience and during this moment, her uchikake is in complete display and with this her whole monetary worth.
The rustling of the sumptuous fabric plays a big role during this display and the Tayuu sways from one side to the other to show of all angles of her outfit. Every time she pauses to accentuate the richness of her uchikake, her eyes meet the public but she is sure to keep her gaze down during the whole ceremony otherwise. When she has completed the viewing ceremony, the Tayuu will usually leave the ozashiki once again before the banquetâs official start. Each Tayuu will have her own procedure, some will dance first then entertain, some will dance later, or play instruments at the heart of the ozashiki but with the end of the Kashi no Shiki, the formal introduction is over and the party is about to beginn.
The Kashi no Shiki, or viewing ceremony is one of the unique traditions of Tayuu culture. It clearly shares roots with Noh Theater that influenced many aspects of Tayuu art. The slow, almost sacred movements, the silent and solemn staging, the austere but deep projection of feelings are all a reflection of court sensibilities. This is peak Tayuu luxury and a signifier of her noble status as she would have been called upon to entertain the most prestigious guests, she would have needed a grand entrance and a vehicle to display her wealth and taste in the most elegant way. This is it.
One can only imagine the sight to behold at the time when these girls were the height of noble culture. They were one of a kind and extremely exclusive, if she would have agreed to meet a new patron, she would attend his parties at her associated ageya or would have been called upon to entertain at his own estate. Here she would arrive with her entourage, gladly payed for by her patron, and when the time came for the meeting, the silence in the room and anticipation of the guests would have been electrifying. Sure it was one thing to be in the position to call upon the Tayuu and afford to patronize her but would she deem her new patron worthy? For the patron an unusual situation as he would have been accustomed to fulfill any wish and afford any luxury his heart desired. A Tayuu might decline, might reject her suitor, the thrill of this possible conquest would have been irresistible for the spoiled patron because a great Tayuu was not really interested in her new patronâs money but his prestige and this made her so interesting.
And what was this Tayuu communicating to her patron with this ceremony? Well, of course her grandeur: She wasnât going to effortlessly walk into a parlor and introduce herself casually, no, as the queenly figure she portrayed, she needed a magnificent entrance. Of course the introduction to her patron needed all the pomp and circumstance imaginable so naturally every one would stay silent when she made her appearance.
Then of course her learnedness: She was a disciple of Noh traditions and this went way back. With these gestures and this flair of high artistic training, the Tayuu informed her patron of her connection to noble theater, she expressed that she was an artist of the highest rank and he needed to study up on her while she took the time to examine his cues.
Letâs not forget that the Kashi no Shiki, specially the part with the sake cup, was a way for a Tayuu to buy some time to inspect her surroundings. What type of people were present and would she want to grace them with her presence. While the cup floats from one side to the other, she invokes her spiritual greatness, for this brief moment, she commands the full moon herself as she crosses the nightly sky. This ceremony was very intense and it might have been a touching experience with big theatrics and magic gestures in the darkness, in reality the whole procedure might have taken two minutes. But two minutes of tense silence and attention might have made a significant impression.
Even the sake cup itself was an expression of the Tayuuâs taste and wealth. Usually it would have been made of lacquerwear, a prestigious material for the most formal drinking experience and the vermillion lacquer, still used by Wachigaiyaâs Tayuu to this day, is considered divine and again connecting the Tayuu to her spiritual role. A respectable Tayuu would have chosen her sake cup very carefully and requested a gold inserted design representing her mon or some other attribute. So with one gesture, the showing of her cup to her audience, she conveyed her importance and her taste, if her patron was to understand the craftsmanship and richness of the cup, he needed a formal education and a love for finer things himself. Nothing less would do, so this secret language was key to a common ground for the Tayuu and her patron.
After the Tayuuâs ceremony was over, she would have left the room. Maybe to change her outfit or to let the experience sink in before proceeding in the banquet routine. A Tayuu was first and foremost an artist and entertainer. Her whole existence was dedicated to finer art and high culture for elite patrons, needless to say that the Kashi no Shiki was an essential part of the Tayuu experience and rightly so. It evokes the supernatural presence of an important personality with her unique resources, she was still alien and unique to most men. Her willfulness and her enigmatic aura made for an incredibly rare meeting, one sprinkled with the sense that this might be a one in a lifetime exchange. For sure the Tayuu herself would have implied the importance of this meeting with this introduction and by demonstrating her strengths she also signified her patrons status and knowledge so essentially holding up a mirror for her patron to admire himself through her beauty and wisdom. The sake cup is a mirror, her white face, reflecting the light is a mirror, her blanc stare, open to interpretation is a mirror.
Throughout history man has found his reflection one of the most intriguing experiences. We want to recreate this experience still: Everyday most of us will catch a glimpse of ourselves when passing a mirror and this magic is as old as time. Tayuu have recognized this craving for self reflection and learning through mirroring very early on: As simple as it was and still is, reflecting your vis a vis is a manner to charm them, to create a bond that goes to their core. The Kashi no Shiki is one of their most magnificent tricks to manipulate their patrons, because it displayed the love of their contemporaries for the finer things in life and also where they saw themselves in that context. It was their use of a magic wisdom to access their patrons desires. It was a magic trick. No more and no less.Â
Sources: Ganref / Ei88 on Exblogs / Sakainaoki on Blogsot / Ehagaki / Kyoto Insider on Instagram / Ehagaki / Ei88 on Exblog / Masato_ky on Instagram / Earthtraveler / Sile-zie on Ameblo