عرض مصدر Ohaguro

[[File:Yamanba and kintaro sakazuki.jpg|right|thumb|180px|[[Ukiyo-e]] of [[yama-uba]] with blackened teeth and [[Kintarō]]]]

{{nihongo|'''''Ohaguro'''''|お歯黒}} is a custom of dyeing one's teeth black. It was most popular in Japan until the [[Meiji period|Meiji era]]. Tooth painting is also known and practiced in the southeastern parts of [[China]], Pacific Islands and [[Southeast Asia]]. Dyeing is mainly done by married women, though occasionally men do it as well. It was also beneficial, as it prevented tooth decay, in a similar fashion to modern [[dental sealant]]s.

==Japan==
In Japan, Ohaguro existed in one form or another for hundreds of years and was seen amongst the population as beautiful until the end of the Meiji period. Objects that were pitch black, such as glaze-like lacquer, were seen as beautiful.

===Name===
The word "ohaguro" was a Japanese aristocratic term. There is an alternate reading for ''ohaguro'', 鉄漿 (literally 'iron drink' "lead"). At the old Imperial palace in Kyoto, it was called {{nihongo|''fushimizu''|五倍子水}}. Among the civilians, such words as {{nihongo|''kanetsuke''|鉄漿付け}}, {{nihongo|''tsukegane''|つけがね}} and {{nihongo|''hagurome''|歯黒め}} were used.

=== History ===
*Traces of blackened teeth can be seen in the buried bones and [[haniwa]] (250 to 538 CE) from the [[Kofun period]].
*[[Shōsōin]], a treasure house connected to [[Tōdai-ji]] in Nara, holds the teachings brought to Japan by [[Jianzhen]] in 753.

References to ''ohaguro'' exist in the ''[[The Tale of Genji]]''<ref>[[Murasaki Shikibu]], ''The Tale of Genji'', translated by Royall Tyler. Chapter 6, page 130. Penguin Classics. Reprint 2003. First published 2001. ISBN 0-14-243714-X - see also note 57 by Royall Tyler</ref> and ''[[Tsutsumi Chūnagon Monogatari]]''. At the end of the [[Heian period]], at the time when aristocratic men and woman reached puberty and celebrated their ''[[genpuku]]'' or ''mogi'', the [[Taira clan]] and other samurai, and pages working at large temples, dyed their teeth. In particular, the imperial family and other high-ranking aristocrats who had finished their ''hakamaza'' (ceremony where a child is fitted with a ''hakama'') blackened their teeth and painted their eyebrows ({{nihongo|''[[hikimayu]]''|引眉}}). This was done in the imperial household until the end of the Edo era.

In the [[Muromachi period]], ''ohaguro'' was generally seen among adults, though when the [[Sengoku period]] arrived, so as to prepare for political marriages of convenience, when the daughters of military commanders were around 8 to 10 years old, they would blacken their teeth as a marking of their coming of age. Relatives and guardians of the bride who blackened their teeth were called ''kaneoya'' (鉄漿親). It is said that military commanders who were struck in the head on the battlefield and who did not want to be ugly{{fact|date=January 2016}} would wear average women's makeup and would blacken their teeth. These faces imitated the [[Noh#Masks|Noh masks]] of women and young boys.

After the [[Edo period]], only men of the [[Imperial House of Japan]] and the aristocracy blackened their teeth. Due to the odor and labor required for the process, as well as a feeling among young women that they were aging, ''ohaguro'' was done only by married women, unmarried women who were older than 18, [[sex worker]]s and geisha. For rural people, ''ohaguro'' was done only at times of special celebrations, such as [[Japanese festivals]], wedding ceremonies, and funerals. There were also depictions of ''ohaguro'' in fairy tales, such as "[[Gon, the Little Fox]]".

On February 5, 1870, the government banned ''ohaguro'' and the process gradually became obsolete. After the Meiji period, it temporarily spread, but it almost entirely died out in the [[Taishō period]] (ending in 1927).

In contemporary times, the only places where ohaguro can be seen is in plays, ''[[hanamachi]]'' ([[geisha]] districts), some festivals, and movies.

===Social function===
Many Westerners, including [[Engelbert Kaempfer]], [[Philipp Franz von Siebold]], and [[Rutherford Alcock]], who visited Edo-era Japan, described ''ohaguro'' as an abhorrent custom which disfigured women.<ref>Kyouji Watanabe, "Yukishi Yono Omokage", Kindle location 5778, ISBN 4582765521, Published by Heibonsha.</ref> Alcock conjectured that the purpose of it is chastity by making the women intentionally unattractive to prevent potential extra-marital relationship. Japanese social scientist Kyouji Watanabe disagrees with this theory. Based on the fact that Japanese girls were allowed a large degree of both social and sexual liberty until the time of Ohaguro when they resume the responsibility of wife and mother, Watanabe thinks that it is a social ritual by which both society and a girl herself confirm the determination of matured women.<ref>Kyouji Watanabe, "Yukishi Yono Omokage", Kindle location 5778, ISBN 4582765521, Published by Heibonsha.</ref>

===Dyes===
{{original research|date=January 2016}}
<!--鉄漿を「かね」と読むと、染めるのに使う液を表す。 - did not translate -->
The main ingredient was a dark-brown solution of [[ferric acetate]] called ''[[kanemizu]]'' (かねみず), made by dissolving iron filings in vinegar. When the solution was combined with vegetable tannins from such sources as [[gallnut]] powder or tea powder, it would turn black and become non-water-soluble, in the same manner that [[iron gall ink]] is produced. Coating the teeth with this liquid helped to prevent tooth decay and enamel decay. The dye had to be applied once a day or once every few days.

As a convenient prescription, a fine powder of gallnut powder, sulfuric acid, and [[oyster shell]] could also be applied to the teeth, though this never really caught on.

In theatrical plays, ink mixed with [[turpentine]] was used, though these days, ink mixed with [[tooth wax]] is used.

===Superstitions and urban legends===
*In the Meiji, a rumor spread about an area where a virgin's blood was painted on an electric line. As a result of not wanting to have their blood taken as well, many of the young women in this area changed their appearances to match those of married women by blackening their teeth, painting their eyebrows and wearing simple kimono.
*In Yamada Norio's 2010 book {{nihongo|"A Trip of [[Tōhoku region|Tōhoku]] Ghost Stories"|山田野理夫東北怪談全集}}, a story about [[Fukushima Prefecture]] is described {{nihongo||お歯黒べったり||"Ohaguro Bettari"}}.

==Elsewhere==
[[File:Nhuộm răng đen.jpg|thumb|250px|A Vietnamese woman with blackened teeth]]

[[File:Tonkin woman.jpg|thumb|right|225px|A woman from [[Tonkin]] with black-painted teeth ({{citation needed span|ca. 1905|date=November 2014}}<!-- see also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Mvhaha#File:Tonkin_woman.jpg -->)]]

Historically, blackened teeth are known in China,{{where|date=June 2014}} and in the ''[[Classic of Mountains and Seas]]'', there is a description of a "black-tooth country" ({{zh|c=黒歯国}}).{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} In China, tooth painting was known as "漆齿" or "染齿".{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

The practice of blackening teeth{{specify|date=January 2016}} continues among many minority groups in China, Pacific Islands and [[Southeast Asia]]. It is mainly prevalent in older women, though the practice is still carried on by some younger women. Sometimes [[artificial teeth]] are used to achieve blackened teeth.

In Vietnam, tooth painting was practiced by the majority [[Vietnamese people]] as well as by minority [[ethnic group]]s. [[Si La people|Si La men]] paint their teeth [[red]] and the women paint theirs [[black]]. This practice has slowly declined with each new [[generation]]. {{fact|date=January 2016}}
* [[Yunnan]], China
** [[Blang people]]
** [[Dai people|Dai]]
** [[Hmong people|Hmoob]]
** [[Jino people|Jino]]
** [[Gin people|người Kinh]] ([[Vietnamese people]] in China)
** [[Lahu people|Lahu]]
** [[Yao people|Yao]]
* Laos
** [[Hani people|Hani]]
** [[Katu people|Katu]]
** [[Phunoi people|Phunoi]]
* Pacific Islands <ref>{{cite web|author=Sheila Benavente |url=http://www.offisland.com/feature/teeth.html |title=Mariana's Past |publisher=Offisland.com |date= |accessdate=2012-12-21}}</ref>
** [[Palau]]
** [[Yap]]
** [[Philippines]]
** [[Mariana Islands]]
* Thailand
** [[Akha people|Akha]]
** [[Lisu people|Lisu]]
* Vietnam
** [[Vietnamese people|người Kinh]]
** [[Yao people|Yao]]
** [[Lu people|Lu]]
** [[Hmong people|Hmoob Dub]]
** [[Nùng people|Nùng]]
** [[Si La people|Si La]]
* India
{{quote|The agent of choice for teeth blackening became known as ''missī'', a powdery mixture of (1) iron and copper sulphate, (2) a plant source of [[tannin]]s, such as [[myrobalans]], and (3) flavouring agents. The use of ''missī'', thought to be sanctified by [[Fatimah|Fāṭimah]], the Prophet’s daughter, became deeply engrained in Islamic culture across much of the subcontinent. Teeth blackening as a life cycle event related to sexual maturity and in its literary portrayals acquired distinct sexual overtones. It was integrated into to the culture of [[courtesan]]s and prostitutes where ''missī'' became synonymous with the ritual of selling a woman’s virginity. Although not a primary motivation, medicinal considerations also played a role in the use of ''missī''. Early references to blackening the gums and edges of the teeth suggest a connection to an older tradition of filing the interstices between teeth which had become prohibited by [[Sharia|Islamic law]]. Geographically and culturally distinct traditions of teeth blackening also prevailed among diverse indigenous groups living along the slopes of the Eastern [[Himalayas]], from [[Nepal]] through [[Meghalaya]] and [[Assam]] to [[Nagaland]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Zumbroich|first1=Thomas J.|title=The ''missī''-stained finger-tip of the fair': A cultural history of teeth and gum blackening in South Asia|journal=eJournal of Indian Medicine|date=2015|volume=8|issue=1|pages=1|url=https://oxford.academia.edu/ThomasZumbroich}}</ref>}}

Further west, teeth blackening has been documented as far as [[Madagascar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oxford.academia.edu/ThomasZumbroich |title=Zumbroich, Thomas J. 2012. 'Ny vazana tsy aseho vahiny' - 'Don't show your molars to strangers' - Expressions of teeth blackening in Madagascar. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 10:523-539 |accessdate=2015-02-25}}</ref>

For the most comprehensive reviews, see:
* {{cite journal|last1=Zumbroich|first1=Thomas J.|title='Teeth as black as a bumble bee's wings’: The ethnobotany of teeth blackening in Southeast Asia|journal=Ethnobotany Research & Applications|date=2011|volume=7|pages=381-398|url=https://oxford.academia.edu/ThomasZumbroich}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Zumbroich|first1=Thomas J.|title=To strengthen the teeth and harden the gums: Teeth blackening as medical practice in Asia, Micronesia and Melanesia|journal=Ethnobotany Research & Applications|date=2011|volume=9|pages=97-113}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Japanese fashion|Dentistry}}
*[http://usagiza.hamazo.tv/e5174585.html Ohaguro tools (Japanese)]

{{Cosmetics|state=expanded}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Cultural history of Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese fashion]]
[[Category:Dentistry]]
[[Category:Teeth]]