Contact - Omoi

Japanese: 面繫 - おもがい

A bridle is an accessory worn around the horse's head to put a bit in its mouth. It is an essential item for humans to control horses, whether they are mounted, draft horses, plow horses, or pack horses. The main part of the bridle is made of braided cords, woven cords, quilted cords, or leather, and there are various types, from simple ones that wrap around the cheeks and top of the head to ones that are worn over the forehead, throat, nose, and chin, and metal fittings are often used at the intersections. The forehead, cheeks, and nose are often decorated with decorative metal fittings and apricot leaves. In the Shosoin Repository, there are examples of beads made of deer antlers dyed red, white, and black, and a mask made of a series of cowrie shells has been excavated from a tomb from the Shang Dynasty in China with a mask made of a series of cowrie shells wrapped around the head.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

馬の口に轡（くつわ）をはめるため頭部にからめる装具で，頭絡にあたる。騎馬，輓馬，耕馬，駄馬のいずれであっても，人間が馬を制御するための必需品である。本体は組緒，織緒，絎紐（くけひも）または革でつくられていて，頰と頭頂をめぐって轡をつける簡単なものから，額，咽喉，鼻，顎の部分にもわたすものなど，さまざまな型式があり，それぞれの交差個所に辻金具を使うことが多い。額，頰，鼻の部分には飾金具や杏葉（ぎようよう）を飾りつけることが多く，正倉院には鹿角製の玉を赤と白と黒に染め分けて連ねた例があり，中国の殷代の墓からは子安貝を連ねた面繫を頭部にからませた状態で出土したことがある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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