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| Text and images are from this book, Japan, by Horace Bristol, 1953 |
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| Mikimoto, king of cultured pearls |
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| A planter rows out to the pearl oyster beds in the placid, even-temperatured waters of Toba Bay |
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| Diving girls swim back to their boat with buckets full of oysters |
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| Oysters are collected in a floating bucket, which also serves as a marker and buoy for the diver |
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| Divers live in house-boats like this, where even in summer they huddle near a fire after half-hour diving sessions |
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| At the processing plant, small bits of mother-of-pearl are artificially inserted into the tissues of the live oyster, which is then put back into the water for three to five years, to allow a natural pearl to be deposited around the irritant |
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| Although handling pearls is an everyday matter to the employees of Mikimoto, it always gives a visitor a thrill to see the perfect luminous pearl emerge from the oyster |
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| Close-up view of sorting for size |
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| Sorting for color and shape comes next |
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| Final stringing is done by experts who match every pearl with its fellows, for color, perfection, as well as size |
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| Each string is individually graded and marked for quality |
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| Pearls, until ready for stringing, are treated as so much grain, done up in huge sacks such as these. |
Oh wow my Mum has a string of Mikimoto pearls which were given to her when she married my Dad 60 years ago. They have developed a lovely creamy pink hue over the years.
ReplyDeleteThey sound beautiful!
DeleteAs a lifelong lover of pearls, I truly enjoyed this post and mid-century look back at their fascinating cultivation, dear Ann. I know that I shall think back to it often from here on out when I slip on my beloved strand (a birthday gift one year from Tony) of classic cream pearls.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
It's nice to hear from you! It seems there is something undeniably special about a gift of pearls.
ReplyDeleteGreat info and pics Ann! I shared to our Vintage/Antique Reference Link Guide, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI am glad Pam pinned this, I would have if she hadn't ;)
ReplyDeleteI would ask you to share it with us on The Vintage Life Also, (I know Oshi will love it) and then I can add it to my Favorite finds from that community, as it is something wonderful to see. All those pearls and treated like rice in a sack! I wonder if that has changed or not yet?
Amazing! I've read Koukichi Mikimoto's autobiography in elementary School in Japan at the time Just a installation no photography I have a very interesting about his face and his costume and also another great photography is very historical Japanese culture in 1954. It is great legacy for shared I'm very glad to have one. Thank you very much !
ReplyDeleteHi, Bamboo! So nice to see you here and I'm delighted that you enjoyed the post. You know much more about Mikomoto than I do and I know he was an important figure in Japanese culture. Thank you for writing!
DeleteI would be happy to share with Vintage Life. I am currently working on a letter post (1975) in which my mom mentions that she is giving a presentation on pearls. I hope I can find that paper because it would answer all of our questions about the process 20 years after 1954:-)
ReplyDeleteFine about the pearls.
ReplyDeleteNow who got to enjoy the oysters? Half shell w/ lemon or tabasco or horseradish; fried w/ cocktail sauce; Rockefeller w/ the shells on a bed of hot salt? Mmmmmm!
I suppose someone had to ask:-) All that knowledge handed to you, and you want the oyster!
DeleteWell, oyster sushi? Not so much. :-P
DeleteA fascinating insight into the production of pearls Ann. I was impressed by the whole process but couldn't help but wonder about the "safety equipment" worn by the young girl divers.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. :-)
A fascinating study of the whole process. It is a process that really has not changed much over the years. As far as I know, the diving girls do their job, and have for equipment, the same as it was in this series of pictures to the present. They are "free divers", which means no air tanks. Other than the masks they have no special equipment. They pride themselves on how long they can dive for. Water temperature is a huge factor for them, But they simply hold their breath.
ReplyDeleteHi Oshi! It really is fascinating and it doesn't surprise me to learn that the diving is done in much the same way as it's always been done. I can't imagine such work, but I'm sure the divers do take pride in their skill. It is pretty incredible. Thanks so much for writing!
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