Shakudo Kabuki bracelet

A most interesting Shakudo bracelet in a form I have not seen before with intricate panels depicting different Kabuki narratives. Kabuki is a 400 year old Japanese performing art founded by a female shrine maiden. It combines highly stylised drama, dance and music and from 1629 only allowed all-male casts, including men specialising in female roles (onnagata). The word “kabuki” is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning “to be out of the ordinary,” referring to the unconventional and rebellious style of the art.

The Kabuki narratives depicted on the bracelet are from left to right :
A woman and a child carrying baskets – from the play, The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, depicting daily life in the Edo period.
Two females playing musical instruments – two Tori-oi (itinerant women musicians of the Eta class) from the play Chushingura.
Two warriors with fans – a dramatic display of traditional Kabuki performance, often highlighting a tense standoff or a “mie” (striking pose).
A man scooping water from the classical dance-drama Shio Kumi.
A male figure tied to the mast of a ship – associated with Kabuki depictions of sailors, fishermen, or dramatic tales of the sea.
A male in a basket rescuing a female on rocks – from the play Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry trees.

Shakudo work is a mixed metal inlay technique highly prized during the Edo era for decorating samurai sword hilts. When the wearing of such swords was banned in 1876 Shakudo artists turned to producing items of jewellery which found great appeal with the Western market. This Shakudo bracelet is 7.5 inches long and each panel measures 3/4 of an inch by 3/4 of an inch. Very fine work, immaculate.
sold
Item ref : MB5