Title:

唐子の蝶々遊び (karako no chōchō asobi)
karako (Chinese child) playing with butterflies

=====================

This top depicts a karako (Chinese child, or a child dressed in a Chinese fashion) dancing with butterflies. In Japan, these figures are said to be messengers for the God of Luck, sent to do his bidding. They are thought to be good omens.

The image of a Chinese child with butterflies also extends to ancient Japan, when there was a tradition of kochō no mai 胡蝶の舞 (butterfly dance) inherited from China. As a part of gagaku 雅楽 court music performance, four young boys would dress as butterflies, attaching yellow wings to their outfits, and perform dances for the imperial court.

Below, you’ll find a video of Hiroi-sensei explaining the top, along with transcripts of his explanation.

***

***

Hiroi Michiaki:   This is, um, “A karako (Chinese child) playing with butterflies.” A karako is… [literally] a Chinese child [a child dressed in a Chinese fashion], but in Japan they’re said to be the messengers of the God of Luck. The God of Luck orders them to go do something, “Go here, go there.” And when he requests many things, it is said that this karako goes about taking care of it. They’re good omens. This, if you spin it, the butterflies look like they’re fluttering and fluttering, flying about.

Paula Curtis:      Um, in ancient times there was also a “butterfly dance,” right?

HM: 　 Mm. Ahhhh [yes].

 PC: 　 From China.

HM: 　Yes, there is. They move around with the same feeling as that.

Janell Landis:     Looks like butterflies flying.

HM:       Yeah.

JL:           Uh huh.

HM:       If you spin it here a little, [it looks that way] because [the butterflies] clatter about.

JL:           Right.

HM: 　The butterflies look like they’re fluttering flying about. This is the “Chinese child (karako) playing with butterflies”…

タイトル:

唐子の蝶々遊び (karako no chōchō asobi)
karako (Chinese child) playing with butterflies

=====================

蝶々と戯れる唐子（中国の子ども、または中国服をまとった子）をモチーフにした作品。日本で唐子は、福の神に言いつけられた用事をこなす、福の神の遣いであると言われている。唐子は縁起が良いとされている。

唐子と蝶々のモチーフ は、中国から伝わった胡蝶の舞の伝統があった頃、 古来の日本にまで さかのぼることができる。朝廷舞楽である雅楽の一部として、４人の若者が黄色い羽の付いた蝶々の衣装をまとい、朝廷のため踊りを披露した。

廣井先生が独楽について説明されている際の映像と、インタビュー記録はこのキャプションの下にあります。

***

***

廣井道顕:　 これは、あのう唐子の蝶々遊び。唐子って中国の子供のことなんだけど日本では福の神の御遣いって言われているのね。福の神がこの唐子に何か用を言いつけて「あっち行け、こっち行け」って。色々と頼みごとすると、この唐子が色々と用を足してくれていたっていう謂れのある。縁起のいいものなんですけど。これが、回すとね、蝶々がひらひらひらひら飛んでるように見える。

ポーラ・カーティス:            あのう、昔々は牒の踊りがありましたね。

廣井: 　うん。あぁぁぁ。

ポーラ: 　中国からの。

廣井: 　ありますね。それと同じような感じで動くのね。

ジャネル・ランディス:    Looks like butterflies flying.

廣井:   うん。

ジャネル:        Uh huh.

廣井:                   ちょっとこう回すと、ガタガタするからね。

ジャネル:  　 ね。

廣井: 　蝶々がひらひら飛んでいるように見える。これは唐子の蝶々遊びだし・・・

Title: 

雀のお宿 (suzume no oyado)
sparrow’s nest

=====================

This top depicts a sparrow’s nest. According to Hiroi-sensei, sparrows are said to make their homes in bamboo groves. Here we see a stalk of bamboo and a gourd. The sparrow has opened a hole in the gourd to make a nest and pokes his head out from inside.

Below, you’ll find a video of Hiroi-sensei explaining the top, along with transcripts of his explanation.

***

Hiroi Michiaki: 　And… This is, ahh—the dwelling of the sparrow. Umm, I’m not sure why, but umm, in bamboo groves there are many sparrow nests, um, this gourd, when it hangs down like this, they open a hole in it, and then the sparrow sets up a nest in there. I don’t know how it is in reality, though. (laughs) And that’s the sparrow’s dwelling.

Mrs. Hiroi:  　From that hole there, [the sparrow’s] mouth pops out, going pi pi pi.

タイトル:

雀のお宿 (suzume no oyado)
sparrow’s nest

=====================

雀のお宿を表現した独楽である。廣井先生のお話では、雀はよく竹林に巣を作ると言われている。写真には竹とひょうたんが写っている。雀はひょうたんに穴を開けて巣を作り、ひょうたんの中から ひょっこり顔を出している。

廣井先生が独楽について説明されている際の映像と、インタビュー記録はこのキャプションの下にあります。

***

廣井道顕:　　んでー・・・、これは、あぁ、雀のお宿ってね。あの、なぜか知らないけど、雀あの、竹やぶに居、多くて、あのこの瓢箪、こうぶら下がってっと、そこに穴を開けて、すっとそこへ雀が巣をくむ。実際はどうだか分かんないけど。で、それで雀のお宿ね。

廣井夫人: 　　そこの穴っこから、く、口出すの、こう「ピピピ」って

Title: 

提灯鳴り独楽 (chōchin nari goma)
paper lantern howling top

=====================

This top is in the shape of a paper lantern. It is a special type of top called nari goma 鳴り独楽, or a “howling top.”

The hole in the side allows air inside, so when it is spun it makes a whistling noise. Click here to see a video of a nari goma being spun.

Below, you’ll find a video of Hiroi-sensei explaining the top, along with transcripts of his explanation.

***

***

Hiroi Michiaki:              This is narigoma (howling top), and it’s one where if you spin it, a sound like boouuu comes out. This is one type of howling top– there are many, but this is one, and this is a paper lantern narigoma. It’s a narigoma in the shape of a paper lantern.

Janell Landis:                 Shaped like a lantern.

Title: 

提灯鳴り独楽 (chōchin nari goma)
paper lantern howling top

=====================

この独楽は提灯の形をしている。特殊な種類の「鳴り独楽」と呼ばれる独楽である。独楽の側面に開いている穴から空気が入るので、独楽を回すと、ヒューという音を出す。鳴り独楽を回した時の映像はこちらのリンクから。

廣井先生が独楽について説明されている際の映像と、インタビュー記録はこのキャプションの下にあります。

***

***

廣井道顕:  　これは鳴り独楽で、回すと音がぼおおと出るやつの、その中の一種類で、何か種類かあるんですけど、その中の一種類で、これは提灯鳴り独楽だな。提灯の形をした鳴り独楽だ。

ジャネル・ランディス: 　 Shaped like a lantern.

Title:

追かけ独楽 (oikake koma)
“chasing top”

=====================

The top depicted here is an oikake koma, or “chasing top.” It is designed to have a large, central spinning top around which two discs rotate. The discs are very lightweight and appear to chase one another, sometimes one leaping over the other as they spin. Hiroi-sensei explained that although the traditional “the tortoise and hare” stories are often seen on this type of top, before that, the imagery of a robber being chased by a dog was used, which he has painted here. In the video clip, he tells us about the Japanese image of a robber with a tennugui (a type of cloth) tied around his head.

Below, you’ll find a video of Hiroi-sensei explaining the top in Japanese, along with transcripts of the clip:

***

Hiroi Michiaki:     Number two, this is…

Mrs. Hiroi:                 Chasing…

HM:                 The thief and the robber, yes.

MH:                 Yeah, that’s right.

HM:                 That chasing top you saw before that, um, spun around, that was the hare and the tortoise.

MH:                 That was the hare and the tortoise this time. But before, it was the thief and the robber.

HM:                 This, the dog pursues the robber, and the dog overtakes him.

Janell Landis:        Sensei, Japanese robbers take the tennugui, and do this…

HM:　             Ah. That’s right, that’s right.

JL:                   They do this, that’s drawn there and it’s cute.

HM:                 A thief’s head-covering, a tennugui doing this…

JL:                   They hide the face.

MH:                 Right.

HM:                 We don’t have a tennugui here do we.

MH:                 Don’t we? A red one.

JL:                   That’s alright. It’s… oh. We received tennugui from the hotel.

HM:                 Like this. The thief, for some reason, [ties it] like this, and does it in this way. (ties tenugui) And ties it here under the nose.

JL:                 (laughs)

HM:                 Like this and like this. He does this and enters. And, um he puts the thing he swiped [on his shoulder] like this, and when he runs away the dog barks “Woof woof woof woof!” and when the dog chases him, he panics and runs away, but the dog gets ahead of him.

JL:                   His tale in Japanese. Robbery.

HM:                 It’s that sort of, um, playful feeling. The dog overtakes him and everyone claps and is happy [about it]. That sort of thing.