Burton Silver is a Genius
"KOKIGAMI - The Intimate Art of the Little Paper Costume"
By Heather Busch & Burton Silver, Ten Speed Press, 1990, PB
ISBN 0-89815-397-2
Ahh.
Before there was the international best-seller "Why Cats Paint", there was "Kokigami - The Intimate Art of the Little Paper Costume".
To quote the blurb, "Kokigami will appeal to anyone interested in Japanese paper arts but more especially to those eager to add new and exciting dimensions to their sexual relationships."
Well quite.
To anyone brave enough to go and see the Australian stage show "Puppetry of the Penis" the gist of this book is probably already becoming clear.
Believed to have evolved from the ancient Japanese art of "Tsutsumi" or packaging, this book has everything you need for the amateur Kokigami enthusiast, complete with beautifully illustrated cut-outs, a handy chart for measuring "your organ" for correct sizing - "It is important to take care with the sizing to ensure your koki fits firmly and doesn't fall off during The Play." - and the traditional calls and responses and "the Play" (physical instructions!)
"Uma: The Horse"
The Call: "Where are my oats? Where is my straw?"
The Reply: " ... my stable door is open, ... "
...You get the drift.
I must confess that I have not used any of the koki in my book, unwilling as I am to damage it, as it's now out of print.
Well actually that's just one of many reasons, but if this is your cup of tea I would thoroughly recommend you track down a copy.
Heck, just get a copy. It's funny.
"…OTHER BOOKS TO LOOK FOR
The Classic Paper costumes of Dong Theatre, R.D. McAllister
Art Dicko, M. O'Conner
The Nippon Slipon: Adornment for the New Age, Dr. Itazure
Cozzies for Aussies: Dressing Up Down Under, P. Camp ..."
"…Authors Biographies.
Heather Busch and Burton Silver are New Zealanders who share a unique vision engendered by that country's remote geographical location and it's sensuous landscape. They arrived at their intense interest in Kokigami by very separate paths, one biological and one spiritual, each representing the twin aspects of this special art.
Burton Silver is well known for his conservation work with hedgehogs and especially for the very successful "Hedgehog Corking Scheme." In order to prevent these creatures from drowning in private swimming pools, he developed a simple method of providing them with permanent floatation by sticking corks onto their prickles. Anyone who is involved with this painstaking task, as thousands are in New Zealand, will understand how it naturally led to a fascination with the sticking on of a variety of other things…"