The titular kazari (decoration or ornament) as the focus of "Kazari: Decoration in Faith and Festival," the Miho Museum's spring exhibition, is intended to restore something of the centrality of its concept of decorative embellishment to Japanese art. While the exhibits are consummate, however, the main title seems faintly peripheral and the subtitle, "Decoration in Faith and Festival," more significant.
The term "kazari" is thought to have emerged around the eighth century from the word "kazashi," meaning "to insert in the hair." It concerned a spring ritual in which flowers were placed in the hair as a way for the wearer to participate in nature's seasonal rejuvenation. Self-ornamentation was secondary.
In the 19th century, the adoption of Western aesthetic tenets demoted the utilitarian value of Japanese decorative arts to a lesser, secondary rung, in contrast to the "fine arts." Today, "kazari" endures as a term indicating accessorizing. The exhibition's strength, however, is in emphasizing the supplementary role of kazari in the transformation of the ordinary.