Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art (210)

Tsugaru kogin kimono made of vegetable indigo dye hemp whose warps and wefts are hand plied. It is made in Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture in Tohoku district. Kogin-sashi is one kind of needlework (sashiko), stitches with white cotton yarn go horizontally and make geometrical patterns. It makes the hemp kimono warm with thick kogin in the cold district like Aomori, where it is hard to cultivate cotton. Both sleeves are "tsutsu-sode...

Tsugaru kogin kimono made of vegetable indigo dye hemp whose warps and wefts are hand plied. It is made in Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture in Tohoku district. Kogin-sashi is one kind of needlework (sashiko), stitches with white cotton yarn go horizontally and make geometrical patterns. It makes the hemp kimono warm with thick kogin in the cold district like Aomori, where it is hard to cultivate cotton. It has thin indigo dye cotton lining and sashiko in the lower body too...

Sakiori coat whose wefts are strips from old vegetable indigo dye cotton cloth and warps are hemp yarn. Wefts are fine strips comparing with other sakiori items. The short sleeves are for ease of movement, as it is "hamagi", worn at the seaside. In good condition except for two mending patches. The first half of the 20th century. W:85cm, L:92cm

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The brown weft kasur and stripe yarns are dyed with extract liquid from tree or root of "sharinbai", which is a family of rose. Bashofu has been woven in many Islands in Okinawa for everyday kimono or work wear. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for a bit of wear in front. W:110cm, L:98cm

A fisherman's work wear hand-woven of hemp for both wefts and warps. Both natural color and indigo stripes are hemp yarn, which are hand plied. It is from Tsushima in Nagasaki prefecture, an island located between Korean Peninsula and north Kyushu, and the textile is called Tsushima-asa. It had been woven till 1930s, but haven't been woven since then, so it is precious, especially in this excellent condition one. The first half of the 20th century, 110cm x 116cm

Basket handmade of Yama-budo, wild grapevine which grows deep in the mountains. It is used by a mountain worker as a backpack. Generally in good condition but has a few minor breaks. The first half of the 20th century. W:43cm x 28cm x 15cm.

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The blue stripe yarn is dyed with Ryukyu-ai, vegetable indigo in Okinawa. Bashofu has been woven in many Islands in Okinawa from old days, for everyday kimono or work wear. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for a few brownish stains. W:120cm, L:117cm

Makanai which is a kimono worn at home after work in the Nanbu region, where is the east part of Aomori prefecture. It is made of hemp cloth whose wefts and warps are hand-plied and lightly vegetable indigo dyed. The lining is machine-spun cotton. It has very fine sashiko with indigo dye cotton yarn. In good condition but has light stains in front as well as in the back. The last image is from the book "Michinoku-no-Kohu-no-Sekai" by Tanaka Chuzaburo. The first half of the 20th century...

Juban (under kimono) made of hand-spun cotton with shibori design, dyed with vegetable indigo. The shibori technique of the top part is Te-Kumo Shibori (Hand-bound Spiderweb) and the lower part is Kanoko shibori (Bound Dots) and Boshi shibori (Capped Motifs) with mum design, which is dyed in Akita prefecture. Cotton cloth inside is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. In good condition except for mending in the back (the last image). The first half of the 20th century. 121cm x 130cm

Silk kimono worn on the stage of Kyogen which is a traditional short comedic drama. It is often performed with Noh drama. The kimono is made of thin plain silk with katazome lattice pattern and brush dye for green parts. The lining is pongee silk. The dye is all vegetable and sumi. Kataginu and hakama (kamishimo) is worn over this kimono on the Kyogen stage. In excellent condition. 20th century. 142cm x 134cm

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree. Both wefts and warps are hand-plied. The brown warp kasuri yarns are dyed with extract liquid from tree or root of "sharinbai", which is a family of rose, and the very dark blue weft kasuri yarns are dyed with Ryuku-ai, vegetable indigo in Okinawa. Bashofu has been woven in many Islands in Okinawa for everyday kimono or work wear. 20th century. It has some stains and holes. W:106cm, L:116cm

A cotton kimono (yukata) with bold shibori design. Handwoven and vegetable indigo dye. In excellent condition. 20th century. W:124cm, L:124cm.

Kake-futon (comforter, top cover) made of hand-spun cotton with beautiful katazome (stencil-resist-dye). The pattern looks imitating shibori (tie-dye). It is natural indigo dyed. It has beautiful green cotton lining and can be used as it is, for example, for a cover or throw. In excellent condition except for a few stains and a mending patch. Late 19th to mid 20th century. 154cm x 175cm

Huge maku (curtain) made of many sake-bukuro which are recycled. It has many mending patches and stitches. The first half of the 20th century. 2m56cm x 128cm

Yuki boshi (snow hat), or yuki kabuto (snow helmet) made of Obana, or Yamagaya (Japanese pampas) and cotton yarn for decoration. It has belts made of indigo dye and hand spun cotton inside. In good condition except for some wear in the decorative yarn. The first half of the 20th century. W:48cm, L:48cm

Cotton and silk, mixed weave haori with shibori asanoha (hemp leaf) pattern which is dyed with the root of murasaki or murasaki-sou (lithospermum), one kind of grass. It is called "shikon-zome". Murasaki was grown since Asuka period (very late 6th to early 8th century) and purple was thought as the noble color...

Knitted bag made of asa (hemp or ramie) and kakishibu (persimon tannin) is coated with. It has mending parts, however, in good condition. It was used by a mountain worker. The first half of the 20th century. W:39cm, L:36cm

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) handwoven of strips recycled from old cotton cloth for wefts, and hemp yarn for warps. Sakiori hanten and sodenashi were made mainly in districts along the Japan Sea of the mainland, where they have much snow and cold climate in winter. Piping cloth is indigo dye cotton. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:49cm, L:86cm