Katabami・Umebachi (wood sorrel/plum blossom) crests decorate a maki-e (black with gold and silver highlights) lacquerware comb box featuring young pine and arabesque patterns

Mid-Edo period (18C)

Purchased / Museum’s own collection

This is a wedding (or bridal) set, which is said to have been prepared for the marriage of Sakai Tadayori (1705-1766), the fifth lord of the Shonai domain, and Chouhime, the adopted daughter of Maeda Tsunanori, the fifth lord of the Kaga domain. It is adorned with the crests of the Sakai and Maeda families, “Katabami-mon” and “Umebachi-mon” respectively.

The upper part is the lid of a pill box, while the three drawers below contain hairdressing tools, such as combs, hairpins and hair oil cups, brushes and make-up brushes; all wrapped in tatami paper.