Shuei KADOKAMI and Chieko KADOKAMI's collection commemorative report

This book contains about 200 pieces of Okinawa burial urns (zushigame) out of 4830 pieces in the Shuei / Chieko Kadogami collection. The two oldest of them are from the 15th to 16th centuries.  They are categorized by material and shape, and the size and inscription are listed. The materials are classified into three types, Dollerite, Limestone / Coral / Tuff, and Ceramic, and the shapes are classified into three types: jar type, palace type, and others.

Zushigame has made a particularly unique development in East Asia. The culture of bone-washing can be seen not only in Okinawa but also in Amami, southern China, Taiwan, Korea, etc., but it is rare for zushigame to have such a variety of images, and it is unique to Okinawa. And zushigame which incorporates various iconography from Buddhism, Taoism, and folk beliefs, is an important genre in Okinawa's stone art and ceramic art. 

Zushigame

In the traditional Okinawan burial style, the practice of washing bones was more common before cremation became commonplace. People exposed the dead body to the wind until it is eroded completely.  Family members, mainly women washed and cleansed the skeleton bones and put them inside the zushigame and enshrined it in the grave. It is one of the Okinawan cultural feature which was influenced by neighboring countries.

We also sell "Forms with Prayers: Focusing on Okinawa Burial Urns" in a book about zushigame. If you're interested, search for "okinawa burial urns" on our store site on ebay.