Largesse brain-picker

[Otani Harukojoou]

Good morning, gentles! If you would take the time to give a few opinions, I would be very grateful!

Please keep items SCA Japanese themed.

What items have you given as largesse to represent your Japanese persona?

What items have you *received*?

What items would you wish to receive? Large and small, please.

Many thanks!

-Otani

[Deleted]

I have given many kumihimo braids, some with beads attached (I found a great little 'brass bunny' bead that also works well as an ojime bead), some long enough to be used as medallion cords. Sometimes I have just given away the beads. I have also given pairs of hashi (chopsticks). The packages with a half dozen pairs of hashi in different styles or colors are great because you can let the recipient choose. I gave some tenugui towels as gifts recently.

I have received lots of largesse, but most not Japanese themed. Lots of beads, a few coins, some spices, etc. Fans are nice, since I am always killing them. I have received a couple of sake masu (the square boxes) as gifts.

Around here, we mostly treat largesse tokens like party favors. Keep them inexpensive (aim for under a dollar), but something that shows your personal touch. Handmade is always awesome, but most people can't make dozens of items to give away.

[Saionji Shonagon]

I think I'm gonna have a tee shirt made that says, "It's AZN, give it to Hana." If it's Asian and has a monkey on it, double that. If one more person gives me a child-appropriate rice bowl with a monkey on it, I'll have service for five. Teapots are proliferating at an alarming rate.

Absolute best gift ever? My nigiri basami (sewing snips). (Oh, and some of Ishiyama-dono's kumihimo too!)

If you have a Daiso Japan in your area, they're great for inexpensive Japanese themed goodies - chopsticks, plastic "lacquerware", paper fans, tenugui, and so forth, mostly priced at $1.50.

[akikonomu]

I've given kumihimo cords in pairs, furoshiki cloths-some with shibori, and Japanese themed pouches. I'm working on a batch of boro bags-some to give to my Laurel's barony and some for Kingdom.

[Otani Harukojoou]

Apparently there is a Daiso up in Canada, about an hour away! Worth making a pilgrimage to, for sure.

The thought largesse could be party favors and also gifts shed by those traveling to other kingdoms certainly gives a broad spectrum. I'll ask into what our barons uses most. Then probably still give them something odd that I just want to make.

Are raw materials gauche? I mean, if fabric were stenciled/stamped period appropriate...? Or is that the difference between giving someone cut flowers vs potted plant (work)?

If nobody wanted to use it as a gift, it could be given to gold key. And that still counts, right?

[solveig]

Noble Cousin!

Greetings from Sólveig!

Sept 28, 2016 0:05:54 GMT -5 Otani Harukojoou said:

Are raw materials gauche? I mean, if fabric were stenciled/stamped period appropriate...? Or is that the difference between giving someone cut flowers vs potted plant (work)?

I learned in Classical Japanese class that cloth was something that a lord gave a vassal at new years. This cloth might be imprinted with whatever was the appropriate kamon for their vassals. In premodern times, kamon were imprinted all over the clothing instead of the one, three, or five spots in modern formal wear. Generally speaking, aristocrats in premodern Japan wore cloth in rank specific colors or in seasonal color combinations often subtly patterned with their kamon all over them. There is a rather interesting web page about these patterns by a Japanese special interest group devoted to premodern clothing.