Description
This very unique Japanese Boy's Day (Tango no Sekku) item are the pinwheel vanes from the top of a large carp streamer display (please see last photo below and look at the top of the pole to see an example). These items are used in conjunction with koinobori carp flags which are traditionally flown in Japan by families with young boys. The streamers are hoisted upon tall flagpoles where they billow and swim through warm breezes and can typically be seen from early April through the middle of May. The number of fish are usually taken to represent the number of males in the household and are invariably ordered with the largest fish (representing the eldest male) on top followed by subsequently smaller (younger) fish. A spinning pinwheel is commonly seen at the very apex of the pole.
About the listed Item
This set of eight metal koinobori pinwheel vanes dates from the mid to late Showa period (1928-1989). Each vane is made of metal and is in poor to fair condition with dents, marks and scratches as well as some rust.
Size:
Length of single vane: 12.2 inches (31.3 centimeters)
Width of single vane (at widest point): 3.7 inches (9.5 centimeters)
Weight of all items combined: 12.7 ounces (363 grams)
More About Boy's Day
Oak leaves, iris root, peach boy, golden child and giant fish flying high in the sky...these are just some of the more significant images traditionally associated with boys in Japan during the May 5th celebration of Boy's Day. Called Tango no Sekku in Japanese and meaning "First Day of the Horse", this special day has for centuries been a time to honor, celebrate and instruct young boys in the manly responsibilities they are expected to assume when grown. With the samurai warrior as their model, boys in Japan are taught to be strong, honest and willing to overcome any obstacle or evil in the course of fulfilling their duty. To this end, icons of courage, leadership and service are used by families and communities to make clear to young boys their role and function in society.
Like the March 3rd celebration of Girl's Day, when beautiful dolls of the imperial court are arranged and displayed in the family home, similar arrangements are also put on display for Tango no Sekku. However, Boy's Day displays have a decidedly masculine feel, with popular dolls being figures representing traditional male heroes such as Kintaro (golden boy), a legendary Japanese youth of incredible strength; or Momotaro (peach boy), the perfect son and defender of the weak. Additional dolls are sometimes displayed which represent historic figures from Japanese and even Chinese military history. Small suits of armor with assorted weapons are also very popular and complete displays can be purchased at department stores and specialty shops in the months leading up to May. Homes with male offspring may also fly huge banners shaped like colorful carp fish (koi) from tall flag poles. These banners, called koinobori in Japanese, though more popular in the past can today still be seen flying boldly above the courtyards of large country farmhouses and even from the balconies of cramped city apartments. Carp are appreciated in both China and Japan as symbols of success, and one popular Chinese legend tells of a particularly determined fish who succeeded in battling his way upstream to eventually become a dragon. In 1948 legislation was passed in Japan renaming Boy's Day as "Children's Day" (kodomo no hi). However, in practice most Japanese families still choose to honor their daughters with a day of their own on March 3rd, while allowing their sons their own special day on the "First Day of the Horse".
item code: R2S6-0005619
ship code: G6
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Nice primer on a pinwheel I hadn't previously read about; I know about the carp windsocks, having once had one. Most Boys' Day articles here are swamped in the Puebla Day (i.e. 5. de Mayo) material, as both fall on 5 May.
bcschmerker 2 years ago