#five colors

Haven't done one of the 5 color things in a while :D

Antique obi depicting a kusudama (flower ball, lit. ”medecine ball”) made from beautifully intricated ribbon embroidery.

Kusadama were originally kind of potpourri pouches which were hung on Tango no sekku (5th day of the 5th month, today held in May as Kodomo no hi). Kusudama would be kept until the 9th day of the 9th month (Chrysanthemum/double ninth Festival) and then replaced by chrysanthemum flowers.

Auspicious goshiki no ito (five long dangling ribbons) were used to close and hang kududama. In rich households, the ornamental pouch would be made of luxurious Nishiki brocade. Inside, you could find jakō (musk/incense), jinkō (agarwood), chōji (cloves), kanshō (a kind of honeysuckle?), ryūnō (kind of camphor), etc. All those elements were thought to ward of evil and prevent illness.

Overtime, the pouch slowy became a kind of flower arrangement like the one depicted on this obi. Because of their auspicious nature, they are often seen on antique girl and women garments:

and you can also find them in traditional tsumami kanzashi (hairpin) designs:

I keep remembering then forgetting to post, and the cycle just repeats