A kanzashi (a traditional Japanese hair ornament) made from Satsuma boxwood trees, originating in Kagoshima Prefecture.
It features the traditional Japanese pattern of chrysanthemum and fan.
A gorgeous and elegant kanzashi, perfect for various styles, from casual to semi-formal occasions.
The grains of Satsuma boxwood trees are known for their exquisite meticulousness.
Each grain is unique.
The more you use it, the colour of the Kanzashi will change to a beautiful amber hue.
It is the one and only hairpin that will become more and more precious to you as you use it.
It can be used as an ornament after updoing your hair with rubber bands or pins.
Approx. H13cm x W5.5cm
Please note that there may be some variations in the measurements because each piece is handmade.
Yonoya Kushiho
https://yonoya.com/en/
Bringing the boxwood comb, which has long supported the luster of Japanese hair, into the future
Japanese boxwood combs have been used for hair care since ancient times, and are even mentioned in the Manyoshu (The Anthology of Myriad Leaves), a classic work of Japanese literature. During the Edo period, when all kinds of hairstyles were in vogue, boxwood combs were also popular as accessories, worn attached to hairstyles. It was also a custom for a man to give a comb to a woman when proposing marriage. The predecessor of the Yonoya Comb store was founded in the second year of Kyoho (1717), at the height of the Genroku culture era when the urban culture of townsfolk was flourishing, as a artisanal store specializing in combs made of Japanese boxwood. At the time, the store only sold combs wholesale to barbers and hair stylists. Starting from the Meiji era, it commenced retail sales of combs to the wider public.
The store is currently run by the owner, Yutaka Saito. These combs are made of Japanese boxwood (hontsuge in Japanese), which grows in the southern part of western Japan and offers the ideal firmness and elasticity for making combs. Yonoya uses Satsuma boxwood from Kagoshima, which is considered the highest grade of Japanese boxwood. After being harvested, the timber is repeatedly dried and steamed to remove moisture, then cut into a comb shape. After this, Mr. Saito is personally involved in the final process of shaving and polishing the comb’s teeth in the store's workshop. Being carefully finished, the comb is completed with immersing in camellia oil for about a week to ensure that the comb runs smoothly through the hair and is gentle on the scalp. The resulting boxwood comb is resistant to static electricity, while the camellia oil soaked into the comb moisturizes the hair and has a powerful massaging effect on the scalp. Long-time users of these combs say they give the hair a natural luster.
Part of the appeal of this product lies in enjoying its amber hue appearance as it ages and changes color over time. If a comb is soaked in camellia oil and its teeth are cleaned with brush regularly, it can be used for a lifetime.
"Many of our customers have used our combs for three generations—grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. Our Japanese boxwood combs are gentle on both the hair and the environment. We intend to continue to make products that live up to the Yonoya name, so that we can pass on this unique Japanese culture of combing for generations to come."
