TO: MIZENKO, MATTHEW
FROM: KAMIYA, SAIKA
SUBJECT: TONBO-DAMA ~ JAPANESE STYLE GLASS BEADS~
DATE: MAY 14, 2009
Tonbo-dama is a type of Japanese glass beads created in Japan. Even now, a little but beautiful tonbo-dama attracts many Japanese people. Today, they wear it mostly as accessories, however, the glass beads used to be expensive alternatives of money for trades and worship tools of Buddhism. Since Edo era, Japanese people started to use and love glass beads for their daily use and called them tonbo-dama by comparing to an eye of a dragonfly. Tonbo-dama which spread in Edo was especially called Edo tonbo-dama. In its small body, Edo people discovered something linked to Japanese beauty. Although Tonbo-dama is not outstanding Japanese art, it really is a good example of explaining Japanese aesthetic ideas at that time – an attitude to love small things. Tonbo-dama is filled with these Japanese ideals and that is why it is still loved by many Japanese people today.
Edo tonbo-dama
HISTORY
World history of glass beads
Glass beads themselves were created in ancient Egypt about 3500 years ago. The main purpose of them was the alternative of money to trade gold, ivory, and, slavery. Only rich people were able to wear them as accessories and their belongings. Between 15th to 19th centuries, huge amount of glass beads were brought from Europe like Venice and Nether lands to Africa for trades. These glass beads were called trade beads. In ancient time, major use of glass beads was for trades and only upper classed people were allowed to wear them. The another way of use glass beads was for worship. Some glass beads were put into a grave as a charm. For Buddhism worship, glass beads were used for some of the tools.
History of tonbo-dama
The first Japanese glass beads were found in Yoshinogari site (吉野ヶ里遺跡). Yoshinogari site is assumed to be the oldest village of time between 500BC to 300 AD in Japan. Therefore, glass beads also have quite a long history in Japan. It is assumed that these glass beads were not made in Japan but came from China and other countries by trades.
Being in Nara era (AD710 - 794), Japanese people started to make glass beads by themselves. In Shosoin (正倉院) which is the treasure house built to preserve artifacts connected to Emperor and important Buddhism arts in Nara era, some glass beads and the documents telling the process to make them were found. Since Shosoin is such an important house to preserve Emperor’s items and other previous tools and documents, glass beads seemed to be really special and expensive items at that time. In Nara era, it is assumed that the process to make glass beads was a secret and only a small number of people could see or have glass beads.
In Edo period (1603 - 1868), the new and cheap way to make glass beads was passed through the trades between China and European countries and Japanese people could have glass beads at relatively reasonable price. The first place which cheap glass beads were made was Nagasaki since Nagasaki was the major port to trade these countries. This process to make cheap glass beads was eventually passed up to Edo (Tokyo). People started to wear these glass beads as an accent of kanzashi (Japanese style hairpin), netsuke (fastener), obi-dome (fastener of obi), and various types of their belongings. The glass beads became popular in Edo and many types of glass beads were created there. Edo people likened the glass beads to eyes of a dragonfly (which is called tonbo in Japanese) and started to call the glass beads as tonbo-dama (literally meaning a ball or eye of dragonfly). Tonbo-dama which came and created in Edo was called Edo tonbo-dama to be distinguished from other types of glass beads. Today, most of glass beads in Japan were rooted in Edo tonbo-dama. Tonbo-dama culture was flourished in Edo era and passed to today’s more sophisticated tombo-dama.
EDO TONBO AND ITS SPECIAL FEATURES
There are mainly three types of glass beads in Japan. The traditional glass beads which are produced by original way from Nara era is called senshu-dama (泉州玉), the glass beads which were used for the trades with Ainu people are called Ainu-dama(アイヌ玉), and the ones created in Edo is Edo tonbo-dama. Senshu-dama was mainly used for worship of Buddhism and Ainu-dama was mainly for trades but also Ainu people wore it as their accessories and charms. Both senshu-dama and Ainu-dama are rather simple colored and there are not many varieties among them. Since the use of these types of tonbo-dama was limited and they were considered as special tools, there might be no need to popularize them.
Ainu-dama
Edo tonbo-dama, on the other hand, varies from simple one to one which has multiple colors in it. Edo tonbo-dama was a glass bead for any people from upper class to commoners and the main purpose was to enjoy it by taking tonbo-dama into a part of their life. Since there were demands for various types of tonbo-dama so that each person could find their best one, there were relatively many kinds of tonbo-dama produced by craftsmen. Edo tonbo-dama was loved as easy but attractive accents of kanzashi, obi-dome, and for other daily staffs. The most interesting part of Edo tonbo-dama is its fine coloring and unique and various types of patterns. Unlike senshu-dama and Ainu-dama, some Edo tonbo-dama have multiple colors in its small body. These colors are not vivid but rather delicate and pale. There are also variety kinds of patterns like stripes, circles, and flowers. Since the name of tonbo-dama was created in this era, it can be assumed that tonbo-dama was pretty much loved by Edo people at that time.
TONBO-DAMA WITH JAPANESE SENSE OF BEAUTY
Why was tonbo-dama accepted from many Japanese? Tonbo-dama was one of the arts which come from outside of Japan. At first, the main use of tonbo-dama was the tool for worship of Buddha and any ceremonies. Therefore, it can be said that tonbo-dama was not really accepted from Japanese culture and Japanese people because majority of Japanese had not chance to see it. Tonbo-dama was rather positioned on the religious part of Japan. The image of tonbo-dama could be something special and holly at that time. This first image could make Japanese people think that tonbo-dama was very special item which commoners could not possess (despite the fact that commoners could not see what tombo-dama was because they had no opportunity to see it). A unique little tonbo-dama had such as a high status at beginning of Japan.
Since the process of making cheap tonbo-dama was passed from China and Europe in Edo era, tombo-dama booms came in and tonbo-dama culture flourished. A once rare and special item became a familiar tool for majority of people and truly, unique glass beads attracted many Japanese. One of Japanese senses of beauty, loving small and avoiding gorgeousness really went well with tonbo-dama world. It is hard to find a little tonbo-dama at the first sight and if no one realize, tonbo-dama is just a little ball. However, if it is closely paid attention, tonbo-dama becomes nothing but really special. With variety of patterns and colors, tonbo-dama makes usual outfits become smart and fashionable. Since tonbo-dama is made by hand, there is nothing same tonbo-dama in the world so Edo people must show and compare each other’s tonbo-dama. Another reason of the tonbo-dama boom can be reflected from a Japanese way of expression. Since old time, Japanese tended to express their feelings and thoughts in a compact way. Good examples of this are haiku and tanka. Haiku and tanka are both Japanese poetry. Haiku usually consists of 17 letters and tanka consists of 31 letters. In either poetry, a poet conveyed hit/her feelings, wishes, thoughts, etc. through simple but well considered words and phrases and readers had to find what the writer truly means through the simple poems. Like them, each tonbo-dama was filled with many Japanese ideas and beauties in its small world. Different from other tonbo-dama which had regular patterns and designs, craftsmen could freely create many variations on Edo tonbo-dama so they expressed Japanese beautiful aspects into a little bead. Edo people could read transitions of seasons, colors of flowers, or flow of rivers through these little Edo tonbo-dama and loved Japanese beauties.
THE WAY TO USE TONBO-DAMA IN EDO
Already mentioned above, tonbo-dama had been used for fairly many things over the history – for trade, worship, and for daily use but in later Edo era, the major use of tonbo-dama was for fashion. Tonbo-dama had a close relationship with people’s lives in Edo and the relationship became closer and stronger as cheaper and more beautiful tonbo-dama was produced. Edo people started to love it as accents of their belongings. Many people used tonbo-dama to fasten pouches and obi. Most of women enjoyed tonbo-dama with their kanzashi. Tonbo-dama magic is that by putting even one little tonbo-dama, traditional Japanese looking can become somewhat modern and stylish. Because a glass art originally imported from other countries like Netherlands, the mood come from tonbo-dama could be quite exotic to Japanese people at that time which oversea travels were not common at all. New style of appearance with tonbo-dama was not westernized but not truly Japanese either. The unique and modern mood given by tonbo-dama worked really well to make difference from usual outfits. Tonbo-dama helped to create new style in Edo and that style was loved by sophisticated people – so called iki na hito (粋な人).
THE CONCEPT OF “IKI (粋)”
Iki is one of the traditional aesthetic ideal in Japan. Like wabi-sabi (侘寂) and mono no aware (物の哀れ), iki is really a Japanese expression and there is no exact interpretation of this word even in Japanese. Iki roughly expresses anything (ex. a person, thing, and situation) which is sophisticated, straight, well improved, and so forth. For example, an iki person is understanding others’ feelings, knowing what is good to do, familiar with many things but yet not intrusive at all. Also anyone who is not afraid of trying new things and taking them well is considered as iki. Thus iki person could be a fashion leader.
This iki concept was created among merchants and craftsmen called chonin (町人) in Edo. Although chonin was ranked in the lowest position in the hierarchical society in Edo era, their business power and strong connection with people in other classes created wonderful culture. Major eating habit (rice, miso soup, and side dish) which was passed to today’s Japanese meal and traveling boom came out from chonin-bunka (町人文化), meaning culture among chonin. From these facts, Chonin seemed to love to create new things while they also cherished their traditional ways and views of living. It seemed to be really natural that chonin could create the idea of iki. In its world, iki contains both aspects of new and old – trying and creating something new but never forgetting and still loving the traditional way of life. Iki was the ideal concept created by funloving chomin people.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN EDO TONBO-DAMA AND IKI
Iki concept is mainly focused on fashion in tonbo-dama world. Putting one little tonbo-dama makes usual dress became something not too old and not too new. Why did tonbo-dama go well with Japanese outfits? One of the reasons is that there was enough room to express Japanese beauty in the small tonbo-dama world. Craftsmen in Edo era did not just copy glass beads from other counties and manufacture them but created Japanese, Edo style glass beads which were more attractive and suitable to Japanese people. With sense of Japanese beauty, the glass beads became Japanese glass beads and named tonbo-dama. This craftsmen’s effort itself is something really iki because they accepted the new art from outside of Japan but didn’t just accept it. They remade it into Japanese style by mixing Japanese traditional tastes. Just having new, foreign staffs cannot be iki at all. Iki also includes that how a person wears these new things naturally and how it matches with him/her perfectly. Tonbo-dama really fitted with Japanese outfits because the craftsmen succeeded on making it in a Japanese way by never ending efforts.
A glass art itself was not popular in Edo era. Therefore even a little glass beads looked something new, special, and exotic to many Japanese. How well to wear these glass beads was the point to show one’s great sense of beauty. Wearing exotic tonbo-dama without breaking any of Japanese beauty was one way to express his/her iki aspect. Thanks to the craftsmen’ efforts, variety of tonbo-dama suited well with Japanese style. Fairly many Japanese could enjoy the effect of tonbo-dama. Colorful tonbo-dama was useful to put some color into simple and plain Japanese appearance. Both male and female could get beautiful power from tonbo-dama.
TONBO-DAMA TODAY
Today, the variety of tonbo-dama gets wider and wider. The techniques to make tonbo-dama have been improved and price also varies from above $300 (or more) to below $1 so now pretty every people can afford it. There are factories that people can make own original tonbo-dama and people can buy tonbo-dama through the internet. In recent years, tombo-dama has been paid attention as one of Japanese important arts and there are tonbo-dama museums and tonbo-dama collectors. Like that, tonbo-dama is still loved by many Japanese people.
In present days, tombo-dama is still used mostly as a part of fashion, especially taken as jewelries like earrings and necklaces. There are still kanzashi and obi-dome with tonbo-dama but since the number of people wearing kimono and traditional Japanese outfits decreased, these ways of using tonbo-dama also decreased. However, there are new ways to use tonbo-dama like cell phone chains and key rings. Also tonbo-dama is still used as a fastener of bags and pouches. However usually, as time changed, the use of tonbo-dama changed, too. Now, it is a lot easier to see tonbo-dama as a part of key chains than as a part of Japanese outfits. As Japanese people were getting more and more Western style, tonbo-dama seemed to become more and more a part of jewelries. Although tonbo-dama came from other counties, it doesn’t really fit into Western style. As wearing Japanese outfits became occasional, wearing tonbo-dama as a part of clothes became also rare. No one wearing a t-shirt and jeans wears tonbo-dama as a part of his/her fashion. Therefore, tonbo-dama is used mostly for chains and jewelries which don’t affect today’s Western fashion trends. Why cannot tonbo-dama go along with other fashion came from Western counties? The big reason is that throughout Edo period, tonbo-dmaa has become so Japanese that there is no room for Western arts to come in. It is very interesting that how Japanese people took foreign glass beads into Japanese style and made them totally Japanese items. Even today, tonbo-dama is one of the ways to express Japan. One tonbo-dama with cherry blossoms can be a good example for that.
Tonbo-dama
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JAPAN AND TONDO-DAMA
Tonbo-dama is not strong image of Japan at all. Not like kimono, kabuki, ukiyo-e, or other major images of Japan, tonbo-dama was not even created in Japan but imported from other countries. It is true that a little tonbo-dama itself cannot be a big representative image of Japan but in tonbo-dama, there surely are important Japanese elements. If people closely look at tonbo-dama, they can see how Japanese it is. Some of these elements may not be seen. The process that tonb-dama was created through Edo era, the efforts that Edo craftsmen put into tonbo-dama and the way Edo people loved it are very Japanese. These invisible Japaneseness reflect in tonbo-dama world. That is why tonbo-dama could get along with Japanese arts and made Japanese traditional outfits even more attractive.
Tonbo-dama has the world which reflects Japanese characteristics – an attitude to welcome new things and remake them in a Japanese way, an attitude to love a little thing, an attitude to giving various meanings into one piece and more. Throughout the history, foreign glass beads have become one of Japanese traditional arts and now, tonbo-dama can remind how beautiful Japan is.
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REFERENCES
Singer T Robert. Edo art in Japan. Washington D.C: National Gallery of Art. 1998.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Glass beads. Retrieved from May 1, 2009.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. とんぼ玉. Retrieved from May 1, 2009.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Iki. Retrieved from May 1, 2009.
