Kicho
Kichō ( Japanese 几 帳 , "wall screen") refers to a room divider that has been used in apartments and residences of the nobility since the Heian period . The Kichō consists of two rods or rods that are vertically connected in the shape of the letter "T". A slotted length of fabric, usually made of fine silk ( 薄 絹 , usuginu ), is hung from the horizontal bar . The vertical rod stands in a foot ( 土 居 , tsuchii ), which gives the screen its stability. In contrast to the Kabeshiro , the Kichō is portable. The actual curtain is always longer than the height of the frame, so that the fabric lies on the ground. The view side is provided with dark red or black ribbons ( 野 筋 , nosuji ) for decoration.
One can differentiate between large, medium and small forms of the screen. The large screen has a length of six Shaku (approx. 1.8 m), the middle one is five Shaku (approx. 1.5 m) and the small one is one and a half Shaku (approx. 45 cm).
In addition to its function as a movable room divider, the Kichō also serves as a privacy screen and decoration. Women in particular also use the screen in the temple to pray undisturbed and to hide from the public eye. In addition, Kichō in small format, so-called "Sashikichō" ( 差 几 帳 ), were also used earlier . They were used by noble ladies-in-waiting to hide their faces in public.
See also
Web links
- 几 帳 （き ち ょ う） .平安 娯 楽 館,accessed July 4, 2012(Japanese, image of a large Kichō, frame height: 90.9 to 121.2 cm, curtain height: 181.1 cm).