Chōchin paper lantern
The collapsible lantern of paper on a bamboo spiral, painted with script or crests.
Chōchin were carried by travellers and hung at temples, inns and theatres in the Edo period. The form has inspired Western paper lamps throughout the 20th century. Examples are in the Tokyo National Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Materials: Bamboo and paper (washi), lacquered wood, sometimes oiled paper
Manufacture: A spiral of split bamboo is covered with paper and painted; the lantern folds like a concertina.
The spiral frame visible through the paper when the lantern is lit.
Family crests or characters painted in black and red on the side.