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A Super Subtle Very Sashiko Stitched Work Coat: Kagasuri

Stephen — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:09:58 +0000

I really like this work jacket but I was wondering if I should post images of it. I thought that in photos the dark indigo cotton cloth too murkily masks the subtle details of the jacket: the details are easier to see in person.The coat is densely stitched with tiny stitches of dark blue threads on a dark blue background. In photos this is a bit lost, but in daylight, when standing in front of the piece, this detail is beautifully evident. In the photos posted here, any slight undulation to the surface of the coat is due to the countless stitches which hold the two or three layers of cotton cloth together, making this a durable, warm garment.Add to that, the cloth on the exterior of the garment is something special, it’s referred to as mosquito kasuri or kagasuri: the intersections of white, resisted areas of the warp and weft yarns are as tiny as mosquitoes. Imagine the great skill needed to weave such a delicate pattern.The interior of the coat, below, with its lighter color, shows a bit more evidence of the coat’s stitching–and many hand tied knots can be seen.The lining, too, is of kagasuri–and the entire coat is made of recycled cloth.When looking at the coat head-on, as in the first photo shown, above, the bold placement of the central patch on the back of the jacket is a visual treat, and is one of the things that tempted me to acquire this softspoken beauty. And the color, the rich, sapphire blue was hard to resist.

Most likely this dates to the early-to-middle part of the 20th century and measures 44″ x 49″ or 112 x 124.5 cm.

A Beautiful and Unusual Kogin Kimono: Sashiko Stitching from Aomori

Stephen — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:28:43 +0000

This katazome dyed hemp kimono with a heavily sashiko stitched bodice is a variant on the traditional kogin kimono, kogin being a kind of sashiko stitching from the Tsugaru district in Aomori prefecture in Japan’s Tohoku region.Kogin stitching is emblematic of this very rural part of Japan, Honshu island’s northern or easternmost point. From Kogin and Sashiko Stitch from the Kyoto Shoin’s Art Library of Japanese Textiles, Vol. 13:

The Tsugaru district in the western part of Aomori prefecture is famous for deep snow. Due to the extreme cold, cotton is hard to grow; and, as cotton that was grown and brought in from the western part of Japan was too expensive, people living in the district were compelled to wear hemp clothes. The kogin stitch was produced under these conditions. The white stitches, sewn with valuable cotton thread, are reminiscent of the deep snow of Tsugaru.In referencing the above captioned book to understand this example better, it seems that this kogin is called higashi-kogin, as the design and stitching style comes from areas east of Mt. Iwaki.Generally we see kogin kimono which are constructed from a deep blue indigo dyed hemp and a sashiko stitched bodice, the cotton stitching worked on a hemp base. This stitched bodice is a separate piece and sleeves, a skirt and collar area are all stitched to this kogin stitched bodice, the sides of which are closed and form the side seams of the garment.In this case, things are not as just described. A rustic, stencil resist dyed hemp cloth kimono–in this case the hemp cloth is called Nambu katazome–is used for a base, and a kogin bodice is overlayed onto the existing garment and is firmly stitched to the base. Kogin, as you can imagine, is extremely valuable, so it will be used and reused over time. Examples showing this kind of re-use and this kind of katazome kimono base are fairly rare.The stitching is done with fairly thick cotton threads and is extremely dense.The kogin stitching dates to the late nineteenth century, the Nambu katazome kimono could be later, and it probably is. The garment measures 45 1/2″ x 44″ or 115.5 cm x 112 cm.

Some End-of-the-Year Details–and a Wish for a Happy New Year!

Stephen — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:09:01 +0000

Mottainai The Fabric of Life: Lessons in Frugality from Traditional Japan

Stephen — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:58:17 +0000

The exhibition at the Portland Japanese Garden, Mottainai, The Fabric of Life: Lessons in Frugality from Traditional Japan opened on 4 November. Here are some installation shots.
I’m exhibiting with my friend, Kei Kawasaki of Gallery Kei in Kyoto. Kei and I decided that I would show indigo dyed cotton boro pieces and she would show bast fiber and paper pieces. The items I have contributed to the show can be seen below.Above and below is a large, woven cotton boro mosquito netting or kaya.

Above and below are sashiko stitched pieces. Centrally place above is a large, sashiko stitched kotatugake. To the left and right are garments from Yamagata prefecture.Stitched aprons and zokin can be seen above.

Above and below are sakiori garments.

Above is pictured a boro yogi or sleeping kimono, while below you can see noragi or work coats.Below is a fantastic boro futonji or futon cover.This piece, below, a shinafu or linden fiber tsunobukuro or horn bag is filled with balls of shredded indigo dyed cotton yarn and twisted paper yarn. Kei brought this to the show to act as a transition between her bast fiber textiles and my indigo dyed cotton ones. It’s an amazing object. Kei’s other textiles can be seen in the images below.

Above and below are some woven paper garments. On the photo, above, situated on the right is an okuso zakkuri or a coat made of woven hemp waste. Below, seen in the middle, is a fujifu or woven wisteria garment and a shinafu or linden fiber garment to its left.

Below are two elm fiber garments: to the right is a traditional Ainu attush, to the left is an unusual dochugi or traveling coat, made from ohyo or elm fiber. Since this dochugi is made from traditional Ainu cloth, we can assume that the cloth was traded with the Ainu by a merchant from Honsu island.

A marvelous, resist dyed ramie kazuki from Yamagata prefecture can be seen above and below. A kazuki is a kimono-shaped veil which was worn on the head by upper class women.Below are repurposed paper items. A splendid bashofu or banana fiber kimono from Okinawa can be seen below.All of the pieces are for sale through the Portland Japanese Garden. If any are interesting to you, please let me know and I will put you in touch with the Garden.

Mottainai: The Fabric of Life at the Portland Japanese Garden 4-27 November

Stephen — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:41:22 +0000

I’m really pleased to say that the Portland Japanese Garden has asked my close friend and colleague, Kei Kawasaki of Gallery Kei in Kyoto, and me, to mount an exhibition which will run through November.The show, called “Mottainai: The Fabric of Life, Lessons in Frugality from Traditional Japan,” opens on 4 November and is on view until 27 November.Both Kei and I are planning to show some of the highlights from our collections and we will be exhibiting some extraordinary and rare pieces. In order to illustrate the breadth of traditional Japanese textiles Kei will be showing bast fiber textiles: wisteria, linden, hemp, ramie, paper, paper mulberry, etc., and I will be showing cotton boro textiles. I’ll be exhibiting a range of types, from everyday utilitarian textiles to large, complex garments.The images here are details of some of my pieces which will be in the show.We’ll both be in Portland this coming week setting up the show: I’m really looking forward to it. Kei has produced a beautifully illustrated catalog for the show for which both she and I have contributed essays. I’ll let you know when it is available.I will be updating the webshop as per usual this Wednesday at 11 AM New York time. *As I’ll be in Portland until 5 November, any order placed from 30 October through 5 November will be shipped on Monday, 7 November.*If I’m able to do so, this coming week I’ll blog some images from the set-up at the Garden. Stay tuned….

An Intricately Sashiko Stitched Maekake

Stephen — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:25:41 +0000

A few weeks ago I showed a pair of fantastic, sashiko stitched tabi which were sitting on a very good, sashiko stitched maekake. I’m showing that maekake today.
The pattern is a unusual: it’s a web of diamonds, the kaku shippo or “angled seven treasures” motif.The stitching is tight and the stitches are very small. This maekake, or traditional apron, dates to the mid twentieth century or so–and it is in very good condition.

A Pair of Blue-on-White Sashiko Stitched Tabi

Stephen — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:27:53 +0000

Today I am showing a pair of exceptionally fancy, yet rustic, tabi or the traditional split-toe “socks” of Japan. These white cotton tabi are hand sashiko-stitched in indigo dyed cotton yarn. You can see that the body of the tabi are stitched in the traditional asa-no-ha or hemp leaf pattern; the toe areas are stitched in a complex grid made of dark and light triangles.And quite unusual is the applied, diagonally placed banding stitched in the yabane or arrow feather motif: obviously this is meant to provide wear against the traditional waraji, or the hand braided straw sandals that would have been worn over these tabi.The hand stitching on these tabi is spectacularly good. As is the condition: they seem not to have been worn.My guess is that they were made in the Tohoku region or north east area of Japan, probably some time mid-twentieth century.These tabi are sitting on an intensely sashiko stitched maekake or apron.

A Sashiko Stitched Vest from Tohoku

Stephen — Sat, 07 May 2011 14:22:34 +0000

This sleeveless garment–referred to as sodenashi or dogi–is from Aomori Prefecture in the far northeastern region of Honshu, which is a remote and rural area.
It is made of repurposed cotton katazome cloth which has been heavily sashiko stitched, the stitching creating a blurred effect to the figured, resist dyed base cloth.Although Aomori Prefecture is very rural, it is this region which produced some of Japan’s most intricately sashiko stitched textiles, such as kogin, the famous stitching from Aomori’s Tsugaru region, which is the origin of this garment. Aomori can receive a great deal of snow in winter and some historians have conjectured that the heavy, white sashiko stitching of this area is a visual allusion to snowfall.This particular vest is made of repurposed parts as can be seen in the the photo above, and below: sometimes the body of such vests from Aomori are sewn from one type of figured cloth, not of two as is the case here.Amazingly tight stitching.Notice that the collar and the side panels are sewn from kasuri or ikat cloth–the inclusion of kasuri cloth on these sodenashi is typical of this form of garment.This kind of vest is said to come from Hirosaki in the Tsugaru region of Aomori. It dates to the late nineteenth, early twentieth century.This kind of vest could have been worn layered over a coat, or directly over an undergarment. See a similar example in Beyond the Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles, pp. 113-114.

A Beautifully Rustic Sashiko Stitched Apron

Stephen — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:20:29 +0000

As those who dip into this blog from time to time know, I love traditional Japanese aprons. Today I’m showing a rustic and beautifully sashiko stitched example.
This is a country apron made of a base of pieced cottons that has been heavily sashiko stitched. The apron is sitting on a sashiko stitched kotasugake, or a hearth cover. I estimate that each of these sashiko textiles dates to the mid twentieth century or so.The apron measures 24″ x 17″ or 61 cm x 43 cm–and I just love it.Isn’t this simply beautiful?

A Sashiko Stitched Jacket from Shonai

Stephen — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:44:37 +0000

This marvelously sashiko stitched indigo dyed noragi or work coat is from the Shonai area of Yamagata Prefecture, in Japan’s Tokohu, or northeast region. The texture you are seeing on the surface of the coat is the result of the coat being completely covered in sashiko stitches.Shonai sashiko stitched garments are often covered in tiny stitches arranged in formation of squares as is the case here. Often indigo thread is used to stitch on an indigo ground. Again, such is the case here. However, what’s wonderful about this jacket is the small patch that is stitched with white thread on the proper left shoulder area of this noragi.The Shonai district is a well-known rice producing center. That said, this square-patterned sashiko stitching represents the masu, or a square-shaped grain measure. Notice the density of small stitches which cover this coat in regular formation. This type of sashiko is very much associated with Shonai–and it’s absolutely beautiful. Looking at the coat’s interior, you can get a clear sense of the structure of the stitching.And please visit our newly revamped webshop–if you’d like to receive a weekly email announcing new items to the shop, please enter your email address on the sign-up field to the right of this posting.