Collection
Gagaku Instrument: Hichiriki, Named “ Saigyoku ”
| Gagaku Instrument: Hichiriki, Named “ Saigyoku ” |
| Flageolet-like instrument Muromachi period, 16th century Gift of Ii Family |
The hichiriki, one of the main melodic instruments in gagaku, is an end-blown bamboo flute. This example comes with an Edo-period storage box executed by Yamada Joka, a makie artist who was much in demand. The feathers of a peacock, a novel, exotic subject matter at the time, are rendered in makie and mother-of-pearl inlay.
