goshoguruma 御所車

Imperial carts. Ox carriages used by the emperor and empress, or aristocrats. Gosho 御所, meaning the Imperial Palace, is an honorific term extended also to the aristocrats themselves. Oxcarts are thought to have been reserved for exclusive use in imperial ceremonies after the Ōnin 応仁 war in the late 15th century. They are also called genjiguruma 源氏車, because they are typically depicted in pictures of Genji monogatari 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji; see *genji-e 源氏絵). The motif of the oxcart is most often combined with flowers and streams, and typically it appears on kimono 着物 and sashes obi 帯.