Twine neck ornament composed of four lengths of twine that have been knotted to create designs - each design composed of two groups of two strands of twine, knotted together to create an infinity design at centre, with a square knot on either side, bringing the four strands back together.

• Narrative

  Found on the ground by the donor at Mount Gassan, Yamagata, Japan.

• History Of Use

  This object is called shime (七五三), a simplified version of the ritual implements used by Yamabushi, mountain ascetic hermits and pilgrims visiting the Dewa Sanzan shrines wear them around the neck. Shime is similar to shimenawa (七五三縄, 注連縄, 標縄), the ropes around thetorii gates at Shinto shrines to mark the sacred space. Gassan Shrine (月山神社) on Mount Gassan is one of the shrines on Dewa Sanzan (出羽三山 , The Three Mountains of Dewa), the sacred mountains holy to the Shinto religion in Yamagata, Japan.

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• Type of Item ornament
• Culture Japanese
• Material fibre
• Measurements height 48.5 cm, width 20.5 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Dorothy Field
• Received from Dorothy Field

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• Made in Japan
• Collected in Yamagata

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• Creation Date during 1993
• Collection Date during 1993
• Ownership Date before October 10, 2019
• Acquisition Date on October 10, 2019

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• Condition good
• Accession Number 3396/0024