Antique Jingasa
This rare antique jingasa is a striking example of Edo-period design and surface craftsmanship. The entire exterior is finished in deep black lacquer, painstakingly applied in multiple layers using traditional urushi technique. The surface is then adorned with an all-over abstract gold-leaf pattern, a free-form constellation of gilded brushwork and flake—creating a texture that is both refined and expressive. This shimmering, painterly finish reflects the evolution of jingasa from utilitarian object to visual statement.
The underside of the hat bears the gold crest (mon) of the Satomi clan, a prominent family that once ruled parts of modern-day Chiba Prefecture. Their mon, discreetly placed beneath the dome, is a reminder that identity in samurai society was often coded into garments and accessories, visible only to those who knew where to look.
The richness of this piece lies in its surface. The lacquer finish would have required weeks of curing and polishing, using the sap of the urushi tree—a method prized for both its durability and high-gloss elegance. The abstract gold-leaf application is done using maki-e and kirikane techniques, where gold is carefully dusted, flaked, or brushed onto the lacquer, then sealed in place.
The Satomi clan was a notable samurai lineage that rose to power during Japan’s feudal Sengoku period. Their stronghold was in the Bōsō Peninsula region of present-day Chiba. Known for both their independence and cultural sophistication, they were eventually subsumed under the Tokugawa shogunate, but remained important regional players throughout the Edo era.
In a time when military violence had given way to ritual, the jingasa became a kind of social armor—less about protection, more about presence. The stunning and rare example here, with its abstract gilded surface and concealed family crest, reveals how design became a vessel for history, lineage, and visual sophistication.
Jingasa
Japan
Late Edo period (Mid 19th-century)
Diameter: 39cm
Lacquered paper, wood, gold leaf
This rare antique jingasa is a striking example of Edo-period design and surface craftsmanship. The entire exterior is finished in deep black lacquer, painstakingly applied in multiple layers using traditional urushi technique. The surface is then adorned with an all-over abstract gold-leaf pattern, a free-form constellation of gilded brushwork and flake—creating a texture that is both refined and expressive. This shimmering, painterly finish reflects the evolution of jingasa from utilitarian object to visual statement.
The underside of the hat bears the gold crest (mon) of the Satomi clan, a prominent family that once ruled parts of modern-day Chiba Prefecture. Their mon, discreetly placed beneath the dome, is a reminder that identity in samurai society was often coded into garments and accessories, visible only to those who knew where to look.
The richness of this piece lies in its surface. The lacquer finish would have required weeks of curing and polishing, using the sap of the urushi tree—a method prized for both its durability and high-gloss elegance. The abstract gold-leaf application is done using maki-e and kirikane techniques, where gold is carefully dusted, flaked, or brushed onto the lacquer, then sealed in place.
The Satomi clan was a notable samurai lineage that rose to power during Japan’s feudal Sengoku period. Their stronghold was in the Bōsō Peninsula region of present-day Chiba. Known for both their independence and cultural sophistication, they were eventually subsumed under the Tokugawa shogunate, but remained important regional players throughout the Edo era.
In a time when military violence had given way to ritual, the jingasa became a kind of social armor—less about protection, more about presence. The stunning and rare example here, with its abstract gilded surface and concealed family crest, reveals how design became a vessel for history, lineage, and visual sophistication.
Jingasa
Japan
Late Edo period (Mid 19th-century)
Diameter: 39cm
Lacquered paper, wood, gold leaf
This rare antique jingasa is a striking example of Edo-period design and surface craftsmanship. The entire exterior is finished in deep black lacquer, painstakingly applied in multiple layers using traditional urushi technique. The surface is then adorned with an all-over abstract gold-leaf pattern, a free-form constellation of gilded brushwork and flake—creating a texture that is both refined and expressive. This shimmering, painterly finish reflects the evolution of jingasa from utilitarian object to visual statement.
The underside of the hat bears the gold crest (mon) of the Satomi clan, a prominent family that once ruled parts of modern-day Chiba Prefecture. Their mon, discreetly placed beneath the dome, is a reminder that identity in samurai society was often coded into garments and accessories, visible only to those who knew where to look.
The richness of this piece lies in its surface. The lacquer finish would have required weeks of curing and polishing, using the sap of the urushi tree—a method prized for both its durability and high-gloss elegance. The abstract gold-leaf application is done using maki-e and kirikane techniques, where gold is carefully dusted, flaked, or brushed onto the lacquer, then sealed in place.
The Satomi clan was a notable samurai lineage that rose to power during Japan’s feudal Sengoku period. Their stronghold was in the Bōsō Peninsula region of present-day Chiba. Known for both their independence and cultural sophistication, they were eventually subsumed under the Tokugawa shogunate, but remained important regional players throughout the Edo era.
In a time when military violence had given way to ritual, the jingasa became a kind of social armor—less about protection, more about presence. The stunning and rare example here, with its abstract gilded surface and concealed family crest, reveals how design became a vessel for history, lineage, and visual sophistication.
Jingasa
Japan
Late Edo period (Mid 19th-century)
Diameter: 39cm
Lacquered paper, wood, gold leaf
Jingasa
Japan
Late Edo period (Mid 19th-century)
Diameter: 39cm
Lacquered paper, wood, gold leaf