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Teeth blackening. Nishiki-e by Utagawa Kunisada, 1820, from the series Mirrors of the modern boudoir.. Ohaguro (Japanese: お歯黒, pronounced, lit. ' black teeth ') is the name given in Japan to the custom of blackening one's teeth with a solution of iron filings and vinegar.
Teeth blackening or teeth lacquering is a custom of dyeing one's teeth black. It was most predominantly practiced in Southeast Asian and Oceanic cultures, particularly among Austronesian , Austroasiatic , and Kra–Dai-speaking peoples .
Teeth blackening during the Heian period, known as ohaguro, involved coating the teeth black with paint, mainly done by the wealthy. There are many suspected reasons Japanese people practiced teeth blackening. Some sources claim black teeth imitated tooth decay, and decay was a status symbol as only the wealthy could afford sweets. [9]
For a short period before becoming a geisha, maiko in some geisha districts colour their teeth black, usually accompanied by wearing the sakkō hairstyle and a decorated black formal kimono. Teeth blackening was once a common practice amongst married women in Japan and the imperial court in earlier times, but is now an extremely uncommon practice.
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Tooth blackening is called "Ohaguro" in Japanese. People could judge women's situation by looking at their teeth and eyebrows. For instance, if a woman paints her teeth black, people can say the woman is married. Additionally, if the woman also shaves her eyebrows, she must be someone's mother. [7]
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An image of futakuchi-onna from the Ehon Hyaku Monogatari. Futakuchi-onna (ふたくちおんな - 二口女, "two-mouthed woman") is a type of yōkai or Japanese monster.She is characterized by her two mouths – a normal one located on her face and a second one on the back of the head beneath the hair.