Benkan


The is a type of crown traditionally worn by Japanese emperors and crown princes. It is also called.
In ancient Japan, emperors and nobles wore metal crowns made of gold, silver, and gilt bronze, influenced by the Korean peninsula. In the 8th century, emperors and crown princes began to wear benkan with chains attached to the metal crown, influenced by the Chinese. In addition, a sun-shaped ornament was added to the top of the benkan, creating a uniquely Japanese style of crown.
After that, the benkan was worn along with a ceremonial dress called kon'e for accession and chōga ceremonies, but it was last worn for the accession ceremony of Emperor Kōmei in 1847, and has not been worn since.
In addition to benkan for the emperor, there is for the female emperor and for the infant emperor, each of which has a distinctive shape.
The benkan, hōkan, and nikkeikan crowns made in the Edo period have each survived, but as imperial treasures, these are not usually shown to the public. However, they are occasionally displayed to commemorate accession ceremonies.

Origin

In ancient Japan, it was customary to use flowers, branches, and leaves of plants and trees as hair ornaments or to wrap them around the head. These hair ornaments were called or.
In the Kofun period, influenced by the Korean Peninsula, emperors and nobles began to wear metal crowns of gold, silver, or gilt bronze decorated with botanical patterns. Metal crowns have been excavated from kofun throughout Japan, including the Eta Funayama and Fujinoki kofun tombs.
In 603, Empress Suiko instituted the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System, which prescribed the types of caps to be worn by vassals according to their rank. In a description of Japan in the Book of Sui, it is written, "In the Sui Dynasty, that king created the system of crowns for the first time. The crowns were made of brocade or patterned cloth, and were further adorned with gold or silver floral ornaments."
According to the Nihon Shoki, these hair ornaments, also called uzu, were attached to caps on New Year's Day and special occasions, and depending on rank, uzu were made of gold, leopard tails, or bird tails.
In the Chinese history book, The Old Book of Tang, there is a description of the crown of Awata no Mahito, an envoy from Japan who had an audience with Empress Wu Zetian of the Zhou dynasty in 703. According to the description, he was wearing a crown similar to the Chinese jìndéguān, with a floral ornament at the top. Therefore, crowns with floral decorations were used in Japan in the early 8th century.
The history book Shoku Nihongi states, "On January 1, in the 4th year of Tenpyō, Emperor Shōmu in the Daigokuden Hall of the Imperial Palace to receive New Year's greetings from the various vassals. At this time, the Emperor wore the benpuku for the first time." Therefore, it is believed that Japanese emperors began to officially wear the benkan in 732.
Emperor Shōmu's benkan survives in damaged condition. It consists of gold, silver, gilted metal, jewelry, and glass beads. Its shape is estimated to have been similar to that of Emperor Kōmei's benkan of the Edo period, an ancient metal crown topped with a Chinese mianguan-like board with chains of pearls hanging from it, and a unique sun ornament.

Terminology

Both the and in are Chinese characters related to crowns. 'Ben' refers to a ceremonial headdress, specifically worn during important rituals, while 'kan' refers to the general concept of a crown. In China, however, benkan means the highest ceremonial crown worn by officials of the rank of dàifu or higher, while in Japan it refers to a crown with chains, worn exclusively by the emperor and the crown prince.
Emperor Shōmu wore the benkan for the first time in 732 in Japan. However, a document dated 793 in the Shōsōin, where Emperor Shōmu's benkan was kept, says, not benkan. The kanji for is a prefix added to nouns to express politeness and it does not carry meaning on its own. is kunyomi of the same Chinese character as in benkan, meaning crown. Therefore, the meaning of on-kanmuri is simply a crown.
There were paintings of Emperor Shōmu's benkan and Emperor Kanmu's benkan for the crown prince when he was the crown prince, drawn in the Nara period, which were handed down to the Kamakura period. The names of those paintings used. Therefore, it is possible that the term benkan had not yet been used during the Nara period.

Types

Minamoto no Takaakira's court ritual book, Saikyū-ki, describes four types of crowns: the benkan for the emperor, the hōkan for the female emperor, the nikkeikan for the infant emperor, and the for the crown prince.
The reason that the crowns for the female and infant emperors are not called benkan is thought to be that they did not have chains. At that time in Japan, crowns with chains were understood to be benkan.

Structure and design

The structure of the benkan during the Edo period is as follows:
  1. Sun and three-legged crow : The sun is surrounded by rays of light. In the post-medieval benkan, a three-legged crow is inscribed within the sun.
  2. Zuiun : Symbolic clouds representing good fortune.
  3. Kaen Hōju : A flame-shaped ornament surrounding a crystal.
  4. Benban : A square metal frame covered with thin black silk.
  5. Tatetama : An ornament with a standing stem, petals attached to the end, and inlaid with a gem.
  6. Koji : A black silk cap used to hold the topknot in place.
  7. Ryū : The decorative chains hanging from the crown.
  8. Oshikazura : An openwork metal crown with floral and arabesque designs. The word oshikazura is thought to derive from the ancient word, which refers to hair ornaments made from living plants.
  9. Ei : Straps used to secure the crown under the chin.

    Emperor's crown

In Japan, the emperor's benkan was once worn along with the kon'e during accession and chōga ceremonies.
The Chinese-Japanese dictionary Wamyō Ruijushō, vol. 12, explains that the Chinese mianguan is called in Japanese, and is characterized by chains called hanging from the front and back of the crown. Therefore, it can be seen that the benkan was considered at the time as a crown with chains.
The worn by Japanese emperors is sometimes referred to as a "Tang-style crown", but it is actually very different from the worn in China. The worn by the emperor in the Edo period consisted of a metal frame placed on top of an openwork gilt-bronze base called the, with forty-eight jeweled chains hanging from the edge of the frame, twelve on each side.
Another significant difference from the Chinese mianguan was the sun-shaped ornament mounted on a benban at the top of the crown. This ornament is believed to have already been present on the benkan of Emperor Shōmu, and by the Heian period and later, the benkan also featured a depiction of the three-legged crow on it.
It is thought that this was done in recognition of the belief that the emperor was a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and that he was the "emperor of the land of the rising sun".
The openwork metal crown with floral and arabesque patterns surrounding the cap is another feature not found on Chinese mianguan. Thus, the Japanese benkan is not merely an imitation of the Chinese crown, but rather a combination of both the tradition of metal crowns that has continued in Japan since the Kofun period and the distinctive characteristics of the Chinese mianguan.
In the , it is said that "the crown at the time of the Daijosai is that of Emperor Ōjin", and that the crown of Emperor Ōjin was used at the Daijosai until the Heian and Kamakura periods. However, there is some dispute as to whether Emperor Ōjin's crown was actually a benkan. Dohi Tsunehira, a scholar of court rituals, proposed the theory that it was not a benkan, but rather a, an ancient necklace.

Nara period

Among the Shōsōin treasures, there is a worn by Emperor Shōmu that has been damaged and is called Onkamuri Zanketsu. The crown no longer retains its original form. However, metal openwork pieces featuring phoenix, cloud, and arabesque patterns remain, along with pearls, coral, and glass beads threaded through the structure.
In 1242, Emperor Shōmu's benkan was brought to Kyoto from Shōsōin along with Empress Kōken's benkan and Empress Kōmyō's crown for reference in renewing Emperor Go-Saga's benkan. However, an accident occurred during the return journey, and these crowns were damaged. Therefore, it has been pointed out that the remnants of Emperor Shōmu's benkan may have been mixed with parts of Empress Kōken's benkan and Empress Kōmyō's crown.

Heian period

In the Heian period, the benkan of Emperor Seiwa was newly created. Minaoto no Morofusa's diary, Doyūki, describes the characteristics of the benkan.
According to the description, there is an inner crown made of thin black silk called, and are placed in front and behind it. The kushigata is interpreted as an ornament consisting of a gold frame with a thin silk covering inside. The raikan worn by vassals has kushigata at the rear, while the emperor's benkan also has kushigata at the front. Surrounding the inner crown is an outer gold crown called ; above the koji is a square board consisting of a gold frame with a thin silk covering inside, with 12 jeweled chains each in front and behind it. Stems with jewels adorning their tips are arranged in rows, extending from the four sides of the square board. At the top of the crown is an ornament in the shape of a sun, consisting of two pieces of crystal, within which is a three-legged red crow. Around the sun are rays of light.
The benkan of Emperor Seiwa and that of the later Emperor Kōmei are generally the same, but the kushigata is absent from Emperor Kōmei's benkan. In the case of Emperor Seiwa's benkan, the chains are interpreted as hanging from the front and back of the benban, but in Emperor Komei's benkan, they hang from all four sides of the square board. Also, in Emperor Komei's benkan, the three-legged crow in the sun is not made of crystal, but is carved on a plate of the sun.