Vintage Japanese Kōgai Kanzashi Hair Ornament – Lacquered Wood Bamboo Design 2-Piece

A beautiful vintage Japanese kōgai (笄) hair ornament, made from lacquered wood and decorated with an elegant bamboo motif.

This is the traditional two-piece style, designed to separate at the centre. One end incorporates the slender internal pin, allowing the kōgai to be passed through the traditional Japanese hairstyle and then joined together again.

At 19.2 cm (7.6″) long, this is a relatively large and impressive example. The glossy black lacquer is accented at both ends in deep red, with a finely rendered bamboo design in gold and contrasting colours. One side is more elaborately decorated, while the reverse has a simpler bamboo-leaf motif.

The quality of the lacquer work and decoration is very good, and the piece has a pleasing substantial appearance despite weighing only 16 g.

It is vintage but remains in excellent condition, particularly considering its age. Please refer closely to the photographs for the exact condition and decorative details.