Imperial Family of Japan Jewellery

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Josefine

does she have any more jewellery?

We've discussed in another thread how difficult it is to determine what jewellery (especially tiaras) the Imperial Family has; it would be near-impossible to know what Princess Sayako [I still prefer her "old" name of Princess Nori] owns independently.

Unless of course someone from the Imperial Household Agency is reading this, and would care to tell us!
.

[Warren]

From the visit of the King of Morocco, Nov 2005.
The Empress is wearing one of her more spectacular diamond tiaras, a large brooch, and a lesser necklace.

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...6&d=1133199374

Originally posted by fanletizia

[Josefine]

as she is now married to a commener do yo think we will see her in tiara in the future

[MoonlightRhapsody]

Originally Posted by Josefine

as she is now married to a commener do yo think we will see her in tiara in the future

I highly doubt it. Now that she's a commoner, with respects to royal duties, she's going to be treated as if she was never a part of the royal family, like she was born a commoner. Privately, she would still be the daughter of the Emperor and Empress plus the sister of the Crown Prince and Prince Akishino.

[galuhcandrakirana]

In this picture we can see the empress's diamonds bracellet http://img152.imagevenue.com/img.php...WS_1050867.jpg

[Mark Onehi]

You wud think with the history of the Japanese Imperial history that there wud be more royal jewels funny that

[bluebess]

How come they only wear diamonds for galas? I love diamonds but they get boring to look at imo, like someone wearing white all the time. I would like to see them wear some colored gems. Maybe there is a protocol restriction regarding the wearing of something other than white gems? Like the British royal family wearing only white jewels during the mourning period.

[Prince of Chota]

Originally Posted by Mark Onehi

You wud think with the history of the Japanese Imperial history that there wud be more royal jewels funny that

Well, one has to remember that this is Japan, not Europe, so the traditions of self-decoration are substantially different. There were no royal jewels (in the European sense of tiaras and the like) until the Meiji period (1867-1912). There was an explosion of Japanese jewellery during this period, however, and to this day Japan has a very sophisticated jewel culture (Mikimoto, for example, is one of these original 19th century firms). During the second world war, though, much of Japan's cities were destroyed, and this includes the artwork, residences, and jewels of the imperial and noble families. Again, though, it is most important to remember that in the 2,666 years of the Yamato clan's rule, only the last 140 or so have included the "royal forums' style" jewels.

[Tzu An]

Originally Posted by Mia

You can always try first from the Royal Jewels of The World site or Royal Splendour...

It's strange, the photos are not loading on my computer.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Tzu An

It's strange, the photos are not loading on my computer.

They won't, because they are no longer there.

Danjel's site and the "Royal Jewels of the World" site are the prime examples of what can happen when a website uses photographs without acknowledging the copyright holders: the photo agencies demand removal of their pics and the site is effectively shut down. Be warned.

[Prince of Chota]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

I read somewhere that the Japanese royal family doesn't have that many jewels these days. It sounds as though their collection might have been pruned by the Allies after the war. I have no idea how authoritative that source is, though.

I think you've hit it quite well. The JIF presents a very conservative, modest front to the world, which seems very tightly controlled. Remember that there isn't as long a tradition of decorating one's self with stones in Japan as in the West...so it is a recent effect of Westernisation. Although there were several great Japanese jewellers who created astonishing jewels (like Mikimoto), Japan was also devastated during WWII (including the Imperial residences and government buildings), and so countless treasures were likely destroyed. There has been little effort, it appears, to make purchase of very grand jewels since the war, the general mood of the post-war economic rebuilding was one that did not value ostentation.

[Prince of Chota]

wow. I have thoroughly restated myself. Albeit, months later...please forgive me...(hangs head)...

[Seraphine]

Well, I think, this kind of jewellery doesn't fit asian woman. The empress looks strange in gala dresses and tiara....

[Prince of Chota]

I don't exactly see how her being Asian makes a difference...

...the style of dress in the Japanese court, from the gala dresses to the way in which tiaras are placed on the head, is a completely different fashion than in Europe. So it might look strange at first. Please do remember, though, that this is uniquely Japanese, so it isn't as though the empress is "trying to dress like a European". It's just a different culture.

[Elspeth]

Jewels aren't worn with kimono, except possibly for an obidome, which is a sort of brooch worn on the obi (the sash round the waist). Necklaces and brooches aren't worn with kimono, and hair ornaments tend to be traditional. The outfit itself was considered decorative enough. Since there wasn't a long history of being able to wear jewels with traditional Japanese clothes and since there wasn't much contact with the western world until the mid-19th century or thereabouts, I suppose it isn't surprising that the Japanese royal family doesn't have much in the way of heirloom jewels.

[beej180]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

I read somewhere that the Japanese royal family doesn't have that many jewels these days. It sounds as though their collection might have been pruned by the Allies after the war. I have no idea how authoritative that source is, though.

The Imperial Family of japan own a tremendous amount of jewels which surpass those of the british monarch. I read that in a magazine in Tokyo about 5 years ago. I remember it saying that after their wealth was confiscated, the Imperial jewels were kept hidden in a place no person knew of except the Emperor at the time. So it's clear that the Imperial Family owns dozens of jewels but they are quite secretive about it.

[Prince of Chota]

I don't quite know how much of that I believe. If they do have tons more baubles, they certainly never use them. And some of the tiaras worn by younger members of the family appear to be of recent (or more recent, anyway) manufacture than the second world war. What I have noticed is that jewellery from several different branches of the family seems to have converged on the current members giving the ladies pieces like the tiara formerly in the collection of Prince and Princess Chichibu (the palmetto pattern worn by the Empress). There may be several more tiaras and large pieces like this, including several fringe tiaras from the late nineteenth century. However, it seems just as likely that these pieces are now in bank vaults belonging to distant cousins.

I was wondering if anyone knew anything of the sunburst tiara that the current empress wore several times as Crown Princess. I would certainly like to see that one make another appearance, either on her head or that of her daughter-in-law, Masako.

[Stefan]

These sunburst tirara was worn by masako at the New Years reception in 2007. There was only a small picture or Video.

[Josefine]

i have been wondering, the jewllery worn by the japance family if we talk about tiaras and diamond necklaces for how long have they worn these jewllery i mean its a western culture
here is Empress Sadako is it worn by the empress nowadays

[magnik]

I wonder what happen with former Princess Sayako's tiara?