Palanquin (1890s)

Group portrait of a mother and child in a kago (palanquin) carried by two bearers. The bearers have traditional hairstyles and wear loin cloths, straw hats and straw sandals. They are holding ikizue (breath sticks) to regulate their breathing while walking.A kago is a palanquin suspended by a single crossbeam which is carried by two men. A cushion was used to absorb shocks. The sides were usually left open, but could also be encased by screens. This form of transportation was very popular in Japan until it was replaced by the jinrikisha (rickshaw) in the late 19th century.Original text: "Kago bearers. A vehicle for seating one person. Shortly described, the kago consists of a flat, circular seat held between bamboo V's which are slung from a horizontal pole. The pole is carried on the shoulders of the men. The kago was the principal means of transport before the days of the jinrikisha (a species of perambulator with shafts), and is still used in mountainous districts where wheel traffic is difficult."Albumen photograph sourced by Kozaburo Tamamura (1856-1923), 1890s. Published in "Japan, Described and Illustrated by the Japanese", Shogun Edition edited by Captain F Brinkley. Published in 1897 by J B Millet Company, Boston Massachusetts, USA.