Gift Offering Item Number: 3396/23 a-i from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Small box (part a) of paper noshi awabi (stretched abalone) offerings. Each noshi consists of folded paper, white on one side and red on the other, with a strip of dried abalone down the centre. There are three bundles (parts b-d), and five loose offerings (parts e-i). The open box is covered in striped paper, with Japanese characters written across a short edge, and a small cutout on either side.
History Of Use
Noshi awabi 熨斗鮑 consists of a thin string of dried abalone (awabi) wrapped in noshi folded piece of paper. Traditionally a Shinto ritual offering, awabi is nowadays often replaced by yellow paper, and attached to a gift given on formal occasions. Awabi is a symbol of food in abundance or good fortune. Noshi 熨斗, a token of esteem forming part of the wrapping of a gift have the origin in noshi awabi, and is attached to the covering of a gift.
Narrative
According to the donor, the box of offerings was found in a traditional style warehouse known as 'kura' in Saitama, Japan. An American friend of the donor was using the space as his papermaker studio from 1970 to c. 2008. The kura had been used previously by a pharmacist, who presumably had left the box behind. The box may date from the 1930s?
Item History
- Made in Japan before 1940
- Collected in Saitama, Japan during 1993
- Owned by Dorothy Field before October 10, 2019
- Received from Dorothy Field (Donor) on October 10, 2019
What
- Name
- Gift Offering
- Identification Number
- 3396/23 a-i
- Type of Item
- offering
- Material
- paper, abalone shell and ink
- Part A
- height 2.5 cm, width 8.2 cm, depth 9.6 cm
- Part E
- height 9.0 cm, width 2.5 cm
Who
- Culture
- Japanese
- Previous Owner
- Dorothy Field
- Received from
- Dorothy Field (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Japan
- Collected in
- Saitama, Japan
When
- Creation Date
- before 1940
- Collection Date
- during 1993
- Ownership Date
- before October 10, 2019
- Acquisition Date
- on October 10, 2019
Other
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 3396/0023