Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (206)

Shima-cho, a sample book of cotton stripes. It has more than 600 fragments, mostly hand-spun and vegetable dye but some warps are chemical dye and also some fragments have silk threads. The second half of the 19th century. In good condition but some fragments are mildewy. 38 pages. 18.5cm x 13cm x 2cm

Cotton cloth with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and dyed with pigments, which is called "wa-sarasa", Japanese chintz. It was produced from late Edo to early Meiji period. This one is "Sakai-sarasa", made in Sakai in Osaka. The second half of the 19th century. In excellent condition. W:34cm, L:120cm

Hemp bag with age, Meiji 24 (1892) and the owner's name, Sahiko (佐彦）、whose warps and wefts are hand-plied. It has very well-done mending and reinforcement stitches, and also a mending patch. It has letters "25 sheets", but it is not clear what was put in. It is from Niigata prefecture. In good condition. W:29.5cm, L:52cm

Wa-sarasa futonji made of cotton and dyed with pigments. Wa-sarasa is Japanese calico which is first made in Edo period immitating calico from abroad and stencil-resit dye or woodblock print. The product places were Nabeshima (Saga Pref. in Kyushu), Sakai (Osaka), Nagasaki (Kyushu) etc, however it is not clear where this futonji was made. In excellent condition. The latter half of the 19th century. 130cm x 168cm

Two pieces of urumi-zome cloth which are made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. Urumi-zome is katazome (stencil-resist-dye) imitating shibori-zome (tie-dye) and it requires more process than common katazome to make blurring like shibori. Both have rips but other part of the cloth is not weak. The right one has a patch in the back. The second half of the 19th century. Right one:75cm x 126cm, Left one:65cm x 126cm

Han-juban, short under kimono, made of hand-spun cotton and dyed with benibana (safflower). The dye technique is Beni-itajime which is board-clamp dye. The cloth is folded in some layers between two boards which are pattern carved and generally about 12 boards are used to dye about 22m length of cloth. Beni-itajime was mostly dyed in Kyoto until the end of Edo period but it was practiced in other places later. The lining is also hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. In excellent condition...

Hanten, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. This one is made of asa (hemp) and both warp and weft are hand-plied...

Katana-bukuro made of hand-spun cotton with komon, tiny pattern which is katazome (stencil-resist-dyeing). It has tsuta-mon (ivy) family crest. All hand-sewn. In good condition but has much color faded parts. 19th century. 16cm x 86cm

A piece of hand-spun cotton cloth with chrysanthemum pattern, whose ground cloth in green is dyed with vegetable indigo and vegetable yellow, but the dye of the reddish-brown mum pattern is not clear. In excellent condition. 19th century. W:32.5cm, L:130cm

Young woman's katabira (unlined kimono made of asa, hemp or ramie) with long sleeves. It is made of Echigo-chijimi, which was woven in Echigo region, now Niigata prefecture. It is handwoven of choma (ramie) whose wefts and warps are hand-plied, and the surface has light shrinkage from twisted warps and wefts. It has hand-painted flower motifs. The lining of collar cloth is thin silk, probably dyed with benibana (safflower). In excellent condition, no hole or no stain. 19th century...

Cotton lining for narrow sash (obi). Most of the fragments are hand-spun cotton cloth, such as plain cotton indigo dyed, itajime mame-shibori (clamp-board dye), katazome (stencil-resist-dye) etc. The second half of the 19th century. 15cm x 4m50cm

Cloth with katazome (stencil-resist dye) which is hand spun and vegetable indigo and pigment dye. In good condition, however slightly colors faded. 19th century. W:32.5cm, L:180cm

Uchishiki which is one of temple decorations put under the altar. This one is made of "hangiri" (pants), which is one of No costumes. It is made of blue ground silk satin with "hiun and uroko" (flying cloud and fish scale) design with gold treads. It has kanji letters "Meiji 5 (1873)"in the back, however it is the date when it was dedicated, so the age of the cloth might have been from late Edo period. Real gold thread is woven for the design...

Katsugi or Kazuki which is worn over the head down and fully covers the body, which is made of hemp, whose wefts and warps are hand-plied. Originally, the kazuki was worn by a noble woman when she went out from Heian to Kamakura period (about 9th to 13th century) over kimono. The collar is lowered to cover a head. This one is probably made in early Meiji period (the latter half of the 19th century) in Shonai region in Yamagata Prefecture and worn at the wedding...

A sample book of cotton stripes with 352 fragments in 29 pages which are handspun and vegetable indigo dye. The name of the owner: 南島隈衛、Minamishima Kumaei. Meiji 8 (1876), Shinano (Nagano prefecture). In good condition. 19.5cm x 11cm x 2cm

Tall Eboshi-shaped fire hood for a samurai, made of hand-spun cotton, both outside and inside, and dyed with vegetable indigo. In Edo period, the town of Edo often suffered from massive fires, so that "machi hikeshi" by town people as well as "samurai hikeshi" were organized. This hood was worn by a samurai together with samurai fire costume when the fire broke out. In good condition except for slight dirt in the top part. The piping is silk. 19th century. W:53cm, L:69cm

Girl's kimono made of hand-spun cotton with flower motif which is Yuzen-zome (hand-painting). The ground cloth is benibana (safflower) dye. Benibana was grown in Yamagata prefecture in Edo period, and it was very precious. It was traded to Kyoto and dyed there for kosode kimono or others for women of a family of high-ranking samurai or merchants. Benibana dye has faded in upper back, but generally in good condition. Late Edo period (mid 19th century) W122cm, L:124cm

Sodenashi (vest) made of silk crepe fragments which are: katazome (stencil-resist-dye), stripes with yama-mayu (wild silk), itajime (clamp-board dye), plain etc. All vegetable dye such as indigo, benibana (safflower), shikon (root of purple grass). In excellent condition. The second half of the 19th century. 37cm x 57cm