16 Field Museum of Natural History 



the peace of those times, there was little use for de- 

 fensive armor. These suits are typical examples of a 

 decadent craft, for compared with those of earlier date, 

 when fighting was a glory, they are decidedly inferior. 



In the large tapestry on the north wall of this room, 

 a group of warriors in full regalia head a large proces- 

 sion on their way to the consecration of the famous 

 temple in Nikko which is dedicated to the first of the 

 Tokugawa shoguns, Ieyasu. This remarkable piece of 

 handicraft embodies a minute and exact record of the 

 carvings of those famous shrines, and the red and gold 

 threads reproduce to an extraordinary degree the red 

 and gold lacquer, which, with the colored carvings, 

 have brought forth the proverb, "Do not use the word 

 magnificent until you see Nikko." This tapestry af- 

 fords an excellent opportunity to study costume of 

 the seventeenth century ; for here are heralds, samurai, 

 daimyo, standard bearers and lance bearers, actors, 

 courtiers, musicians, and commoners, all moving in 

 procession across the scene. Of especial interest are 

 the portable shrines decorated with metallic mirrors, 

 birds, and hangings, which are being carried on the 

 shoulders of a hundred men. One may be seen on the 

 central stone steps, while the other is half hidden by 

 the tree at the left. 



In the center of this hall there is a case (No. 9) in 

 which one of the five seasonal festivals is represented, 

 the one known as the hina-matsuri ("dolls' festival"). 

 This celebration occurs on the third day of the third 

 month, and is a time beloved by each little girl of 

 Japan. On a series of shelves covered with red cloth, 

 she will arrange her set of dolls, often heirlooms 

 handed down from grandmother to mother and on to 

 the daughter. Seated before a screen are to be seen 

 the emperor and empress, with the old and young court 

 ministers and the five court musicians. Also other 



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