Long chest - Nagamochi

A type of furniture. A rectangular box with a lid for storing clothes, bedding, furnishings, etc. Two people carry it on their shoulders, with a pole threaded through a metal support. Until recently, it was counted as one of the items worn by a bride's dowry. Nagamochi are often made of bare paulownia wood, but some are painted with tanuri or vermilion lacquer. They are usually five shaku (about 151.5 cm) long, two shaku (about 60.6 cm) wide and two shaku (about 60.6 cm) high, with a seal case lid, a lock and metal support, and metal fittings on the four corners of the box and lid. In the past, this referred to a long Chinese chest with Chinese-style legs, but during the Muromachi period this fell out of use and Japanese-style chests without legs were used, which came to be called nagamochi exclusively. In the Edo period, large Nagamochi with wheels were made, but they were inconvenient to transport and would block roads in the event of a fire, so their use was banned in the three capitals of Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka after 1683 (Tenwa 3). There were also half-nagamochi, which were shorter in length. Nagamochi songs were sung by laborers who carried them at religious ceremonies and weddings, and are still handed down to the present day.

[Mizuo Miyamoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

家具の一種。衣類、夜具、調度などを収納する蓋(ふた)付きの長方形の箱。担金具(にないかなぐ)に棹(さお)を通して2人で担いで運ぶ。近年まで嫁入り道具の一つに数えられていた。長持には、多く木地のままの桐(きり)材を用いたが、ため塗り、朱漆塗りのものもあり、普通、長さ五尺（約151.5センチメートル）、幅・高さ各二尺（約60.6センチメートル）、蓋は印籠(いんろう)蓋で、錠前(じょうまえ)・担金具を付し、箱・蓋の四隅に金具をつけた。古くは、唐(から)風の脚(あし)のある長唐櫃(ながからびつ)（長櫃）をさしたが、室町時代にはこれが廃れ、脚のない和風のものが使われ、これをもっぱら長持とよぶようになった。江戸時代に入って、車をつけた大型の車長持がつくられたが、持ち運びにはかえって不便で、火事のとき道路をふさぐため、江戸、京、大坂の三都では、1683年（天和3）以後、使用を禁止された。ほかに長さを短く詰めた半長持もあった。なお、長持唄(うた)は、神事・婚礼などに、これを担いで運んだ人夫が歌った唄で、今日にも伝えられている。

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