As Japan’s first piece of Western-made jewellery, the the Meiji Tiara could well get an outing this week.
Because on Saturday, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and his wife Empress Masako arrived in Britain for a state visit that formally begins today.
And although Empress Masako came wearing a pearl necklace and similar earrings, she has a host of imperial jewels that she could call on for tonight’s State Banquet.
There is the Meiji Tiara, the Pearl Sunburst Parure and a host of other majestic jewels.
What will have definitely stayed at home are the Imperial Regalia, which are perhaps the most mysterious royal jewels in the world.
Read on below to find out more.
On Sunday, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and his wife Empress Masako arrived in Britain for a state visit that formally begins today.And although Empress Masako came wearing a pearl necklace and similar earrings, she has a host of imperial jewels that she could call on
The Imperial Regalia
The Imperial Regalia comprises of a mirror, a jewel and a sword.
The regalia are so mysterious that not even Japanese monarchshave seen them in person – they are kept in boxes that are never opened.
Legend has it that the Three Sacred Treasures (Sanshu-no-Jingi) were brought to earth by the Shinto god Ninigi-no-Mikoto, who was grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu and a forefather of Emperor Jimmu – Japan’s legendary first emperor.
He is said to have been sent by his grandmother to bring peace to Japan.
Respectively representing wisdom, benevolence and valour, the objects are kept in three different locations.
The jewel and the sword are brought to the enthronement of a new emperor, who has no imperial crown.
The Imperial Regalia comprises of a mirror, a jewel and a sword respectively representing wisdom, benevolence and valour; and kept in three different locations.The Imperial Regalia comprises of a mirror, a jewel and a sword. The regalia are so mysterious that not even Japanese monarchs have seen them in person – they are kept in boxes that are never opened
Yata no Kagami, the sacred mirror, is kept at the Ise Grand Shrine in Mie on the main island of Honshu.
The most highly guarded, the original is thought to have been destroyed in a fire in 1040.
Yasakani no Magatamais thought to be the only remaining object from the original regalia.
As its name suggests, the jewel is a green jade in the shape of a magatama – a prehistoric bead. It iskept at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
The sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, is an 800-year-old replica of an original that is thought to have been lost at sea in the 1100s.It is kept in the Atsuta Shrine in Aichi, Honshu.
The Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara
The Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara is, in my opinion, the most spectacular of the tiaras.
Set solely with diamonds and designed around the Imperial Seal of Japan, it is only worn by the Empress.
Empress Michikowears theImperial Chrysanthemum Tiara, with a pair of matching earrings, (and a spectacular diamond rivire necklace)at the Guildhall, London, alongside the Duchess of Gloucester during a visit to the UK in 1998
Empress Nagako of Japan wears the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara alongside her husband, Emperor Hirohito, 1975
The tiara was made for Empress Teimei in 1917 by jewellers Mikimoto, the firm famous for creating cultured pearls.
It is set with thousands of diamonds and incorporates several chrysanthemum brooches between sprays of diamond leaves.
Former Empress Michiko – who since 2019 has been the Dowager Empress of Japan – often wore this tiara, particularly on state visits at home and abroad.
Meiji Tiara
Although Japan may have the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world, between 1192 and 1867 the real rulers of Japan were shguns of a military dictatorship.
Until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, under Emperor Meiji, the emperors of Japan were puppets controlled by the shogunate and were not allowed to leave Kyoto.
Empress Masako waved to the crowds during his enthronement parade from the Imperial Palace to the Akasaka Imperial Residence in Tokyo in 2019
Empress Masako will most likely wear this tiara during the State Visit at the end of the month
The country was feudal and isolated, meaning no Western influence permitted.
That included art, music, clothes and of course jewels.
When power was restored to the Imperial Throne in 1868, Western clothes started appearing – particularly within the aristocracy, as did jewellery.
In 1885 the Emperor commissioned from French jeweller Chaumet an exquisite tiara for his wife, the Empress Haruko.
What became known as the Meiji Tiara was the Imperial family’s first piece of Western jewellery.
With elaborate scroll work, its diamond-set design is typical of the era.
The tiara’s height can be raised by attaching nine round brilliant diamonds, or nine diamond-set stars along the top.
It is possibly the most important of the jewels in the vaults and also only worn by the current Empress.
Empress Masako will most likely wear this tiara this week, perhaps at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
The Pearl Sunburst Parure
In 1959, Prince Akihito married Michiko Shda and for her wedding, the new Crown Princess received several exceptional parures – sets of matching jewels.
The then Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako arrive at the Imperial Palace to attend a state dinner put on for the visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, 2014. Masako was wearing the Pearl Sunburst Parure
The Parure comprises of a tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings. Above: Masako in the Parure at the state dinner
Japanese Empress Michiko and Crown Princess Masako during a state dinner at the Imperial Palace for the Dutch King and Queen in Tokyo, Japan, October 2014
The Pearl Sunburst Parure comprises of a tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings.
Its design is mostly Art Deco, with the sun’s rays created with channel-set diamonds.
After every fourth ‘ray’ is a line of round diamonds topped with a pearl.
This design is repeated in the necklace in a mirror image of the tiara. Here the pearls are suspended from the round diamonds.
The brooch repeats many of the stylistic elements of the pearl and diamond settings.
The Honeysuckle Tiara
In 1937 Prince and Princess Chichibu represented the Imperial Family at the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
The princess, who was born in Surrey in 1909, wore her Honeysuckle Tiara.
It is similar in design to Queen Mary’s tiara of the same name. The flower had been popular in jewellery designs since the early 1800s.
In 1937 Prince and Princess Chichibu represented the Imperial Family at the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The princess, who was born in Surrey in 1909, wore her Honeysuckle Tiara. Above: Princess Chichibu wears the tiara and her gown for King George VI’s Coronation, 1937
Empress Michiko of Japan wearing the Honeysuckle Tiara at the tercentenary birthday celebrations for Carl Linnaeus in Sweden, 2007
Queen Mary wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara in 1930. The Japanese version is of similar design
King Carl Gustaf of Sweden with Empress Michiko of Japan during her visit to his country in 2007
The Japanese version is delicately designed with pav set diamond honeysuckles interspersed by pav loops.
In each loop is a vertical line of four diamonds: a pear-shape, a cushion-cut and two small rounds.
The Princess left the tiara to her nephew Emperor Akihito in 1995, when it became one of Empress Michiko’s favourites.
Diamond parure on 20th birthday
When imperial princesses turn 20 years old, they each receive a diamond parure.
They will then wear the sets at all state banquets, including the one for New Year’s Eve.
When princesses get married these jewels are returned to the palace jewellery vaults.
Princess Mako of Akishino received a five piece parure by Tokyo-based jeweller Wako in 2011.
She it wore for her official visit to the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor and Empress as a ‘working princess’.
However when she controversially married lawyer Kei Komuro in 2021, she lost her Imperial status – and her parure.
The 20th birthday present for her younger sister, Princess Kako, was made by Mikimoto.
Japan’s former Princess Mako had to hand back the Wako Parure set when she marriedKei Komuro in 2021 and lost her Imperial status. Above: Mako wearing the set in 2011
The 20th birthday present for her younger sister, Princess Kako, was made by Mikimoto
