ABSTRACT
A visitor to a Japanese house, or a guest at a Japanese inn, will notice that at one end of a chief parlour is an alcove, called “tokonoma.” forming an important feature of its embellishment. It is elevated one step above the rest of the matted floor, and on its wall is seen one or more kakemono, or hanging scrolls, painted by some well-known master, or a large-sized calligraphic specimen of some scholar or expert in Chinese penmanship. The floor of a tokonoma is often covered with matting with a fancy border. Special attention is paid to the choice of the pillar which separates the alcove from the adjoining recess, furnished with shelves called “chigaidana” and small closets called “fukurotodana.” The pillar is usually of some choice wood and often of fantastic shape or rustic appearance, consisting of a piece of timber un-planed. It is devoid of any application of art except careful polishing, which sets off its own natural beauty. In front of the kakemono is placed some ornamental figure in metal, wood, or porcelain, set on a wooden stand. In place of an okimono, as itis called, a group of branches with or without flowers, arranged according to the traditions of professors of the art and fastened in a fanciful vase, occupies the centre of the tokonoma. It will thus be seen that the tokonoma is intended to be the chief ornament of a Japanese parlour.
