Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (184)

Kaji-banten worn by a fireman (fire-fighter) with all hand-stitched sashiko. It has katazome (stencil-resist-dye) "gissha", wheels of a cow carriage motif. It has rather rare green lining. In excellent condition except for some wear and rips in the lower front. 19th century. 126cm x 122cm

Kajibanten (fireman's jacket) with sashiko, made of cotton. It has hand-drawn "shachi" motif, which is a mythical carp with the head of a lion and the body of a fish and it is an auspicious protecter. Generally, in good condition but some wear in the neck and brownish stain near hem. 19th century. W:122cm, L:87cm

Shimacho with more than 545 fragments which are mostly hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. Some of them are silk or colored yarn are also silk. Shima means stripes in Japanese but also means an island. Cotton textiles were imported from south Asian countries from mid 16th century and the were called "shima momen", cotton textiles from islands. Kasuri or check patterns were also included in shima (stripes). It has kanji characters "安政 4，Ansei 4" 1857, very late Edo period...

Shima-cho, a sample book of cotton stripes with 182 fragments which are mostly hand-spun and vegetable dye. The book is "daifuku-cho", a record book of a merchant. It has the age Keio 2nd, 1866. 11 pages with fragments. The second half of the 19th century. 16cm x 22cm

Shima-cho, a sample book of cotton stripes and checks (check pattern was also called "shima" before. Some has both stripes and kasuri. Mostly vegetable indigo dyed but some of colored warps are chemical and some fragments are machine woven. 40 pages with 613 fragments. In excellent condition. Meiji (1868~1912) 24.5cm x 18.5cm x 2.5cm

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

Thick shima-cho, a sample book of cortton shima (stripes) with about 870 fragments. The age is written on the cover "Meiji 3 (1870), however the age of the fragments range from very late Edo (mid 19th century) to Taisho (1920s). The first 770 fragments are late Edo and Meiji (the second half of the 19th century) and the second 101 fragments are woven in Taisho period (1912~1925). In excellent condition. 16cm x 21cm x 5cm

This is a handwoven silk brocade sash made in late Edo period (baku-matsu), mid 19th century. Generally in good condition but some wefts are loose from aging. 33cm x 4m20cm

Silk crepe cloth with beautiful embroidery of wisteria motif which is one of the long sleeves (furisode). The ground cloth is white silk crepe (chirimen) and the embroidery threads are vegetable dye. It has kata-kanoko (stencil-dye pattern) imitating small shibori pattern named kanoko shibori. In excellent condition except for a light brownish line in the center. The first half of the 19th century (late Edo period). 35cm x 190cm

Hagi-isho juban (under kimono) made of silk in many kinds such as silk crepe, figured silk, pongee silk and wild silk. The patterns are: komon (stencil-dyed small pattern), stripes, checks, kasuri (ikat) and solid color. The lining is indigo dyed pongee silk and floss silk in the hem. All the dyes are vegetable such as benibana (safflower), indigo, purple grass root and so on. In excellent condition. Mid 19th to early 20th century. 127cm x 138cm

This is a gorgeous hagi-isho juban ( under kimono ) which is made of many kinds of silk such as plain silk with katazome ( stencil-dyeing ), silk crepe with itajime ( board-clamp-dyeing ) and katazome ( stencil-dyeing ) and shibori ( tie-dyeing ), wild silk and so on. This piece was exhibited in the show in Japan. It has thin cotton lining inside. Late Edo or early Meiji period ( ca. mid 19th C to early 20th C ). In excellent condition except for a few tiny moth holes...

Kake-Fukusa, a gift cover made of tapestry weave silk with carp and stream design. It is used to cover a gift on the auspicious event. The family crest (kamon) is Umebachi-mon. Four tassels are metal yarn. Generally, in good condition, but has light stains in blue ground and white waves. Meiji period (1868~1912) 63xm x 63cm

Small furoshiki, made of hand spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. It has tsutsugaki auspicious motifs, "Sho-Chiku- Bai", the pine tree, the bamboo and the plum bloom. In excellent condition. Late 19th early 20th century. W:69cm, L:77cm

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

A pair of tabi with sashiko which is made of white cotton cloth. In good condition but has some stains (washed). Late 19th to early 20th century. L:23cm W:10.5cm H:16cm

Three baby's kimonos, all three have lining with thin cotton for warmth. Two kimonos in yellow and brown stripes are from Akita prefecture where is the product place of Akita-hachijo, which is plain weave tsumugi (pongee silk) dyed with vegetable yellow and brown. Two of them have charm made of silk crepe in the back. Some of kimono for a baby or a child have charms in the back as evils believed to come from the back. The red kimono is made of cotton with katazome...

This is a set of woman's tobacco case and pipe case which are made of deer skin and has fine katazome ( stencil-dyeing ) komon pattern. The motif is pine needle. It has beautiful clasp of green bean motif which shows prominent craftsmanship in this age. The set also has a pipe, but it seems that it is not an original one as it is shorter than the case. 19th century. In good condition except for some patina. Tobacco case: 12cm x 6.7cm Pipe case: 2.7cm x 20cm

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. This kogin is called "Nishi-Kogin" which has stripes in shoulders. It is for enforcement of shoulders for a charcoal maker who brings a burden. Kogin is a kind of sashiko and its yarn is white cotton, making the hemp kimono warmer with thick sashiko in the colder district. It has several different kinds of kogin pattern...