Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (205)

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) hand-woven of strips for wefts which are recycled from old indigo dye cotton cloth and warps are asa (hemp) threads. It has some mending patches and wear. The first half of the 20th century. 35cm x 63cm

Yukata (cotton unlined kimono) with shibori (tie-dye) whose motifs are tomoe (three-way), aboshi (fishing net being dried) and a logo with the character uma (horse). The shibori techniques are: Miura shibori and Ori-nui shibori (folded and stitched). It is hand-sewn and all tie-dye is by hand. Vegetable indigo dyed. In excellent condition. 20th century. 126cm x 131cm

Silk meisen kimono with double kasuri apple and strawberry pattern on yellow ground. Kasuri pattern was dyed with stencil-resist-dye (katazome) for both weft and warp yarn (heiyo-kasuri). Generally in good condition but has some brownish stains and some in the lining too and the silk tape in the hem is a bit dirty. Mid 20th century. 126cm x 146cm

Junrei's hakui (pilgrim's hanten) with many stamps of holy places in Shikoku, which is made of white hand-spun cotton. The ink letters reads "Shikoku Hachiju-hachi-ka-reisho" which means eighty eight holy places in Shikoku. It seems that the pilgrim visited all the eighty eight holy places. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. 114cm x 87cm

Wood bowl (shikarinpah) with bird motif, made by Ainu craftsman in Hokkaido. All hand-carved and in excellent condition. 20th century. L:24cm W:10.5cm H:5cm

A bag for backpack made of Miyama Kansuge, "hiroro" by dialect which is a group of carex. It is made in Aizu region in Fukushima prefecture. It has purple and dark indigo cotton cloth interknitted in the cord. 20th century. In excellent condition. 40cm x 39cm.

Asa (hemp) noragi (work wear) with fine kasuri pattern which is katazome (stecil-resist-dye) and vegetable indigo dye. Both weft and warp are hand-plied. This kind of thick hemp textiles are found in Tohoku district. Generally in good condition but has some mending patches and stitches and wear in shoulder lines. Late 19th to early 20th century. W:116cm x L:76cm, Measurement of details, please inquire.

A pair of goldfish lantern made of washi (handmade paper) and bamboo strips which is the origin of Nepta (or Nebuta) used at Nepta festival in Hirosaki city in Aomori prefecture. The goldfish lantern made of paper and bamboo strips were used till around 1980s, but now it is replaced to one made of vinyl and wire. In good condition except for some brownish spots in the white parts. Large one: H:35cm W:34cm, Small one: H24cm W20cm

Pilgrim's cotton hanten (hakue) with many stamps of sacred places in Shodo-shima in Kagawa prefecture. They are called "Shodo-shima Hachiju-hachi Kasho", 88 Sacred Places in Shodo Island. It is said Kobo-Taishi (Kukai) had ascetic practice and prayer at those places, who founded Shingon Mikkyo in late 8th century. In good condition except for light stain in the upper back sleeve. The first half of the 20th century. 128cm x 93cm

Small rug or zokin made of cotton fragments recycled from old kimono or futonji, which are hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. It has sashiko (quilting) and two to four layers of cloth. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 49cm

A roll of asa (hemp) kaya cloth whose wefts and warps are hand-plied and dyed with vegetable indigo. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. Approx. 34cm x 18m35cm

Sodenashi (vest) with very fine sashiko　which is from Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. It is made of two layers of cotton dyed with vegetable indigo. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. 48cm(hem) x 68cm

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) handwoven of cotton strips recycled from old kimono for weft and asa (hemp) yarn for warp. It has beautiful mixed color of indigo, brown, purple etc. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:48cm, L:73cm

Boro futonji whose ground cloth and most of the mending patches are hand-spun and natural indigo dyed cotton. It used to be a futon cover so that it still has cotton dust. Late 19th to mid 20th century. 63cm x 144cm

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) whose weft is cotton strips recycled from old indigo dye kimono. warp is asa (hemp) yarn. It has beautiful mixed vegetable indigo color. In good condition but has some wear. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 75cm

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. It is made of hemp and weft of is hand-plied but warp is machine-spun...

Hanten with sashiko (quilting) which is made in Shonai in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku District, which is made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. It has 2 layers of cloth with sashiko. The collar cloth is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye cotton with stripes. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:88cm, L:75cm

Hanten with sashiko and mending patches which is from Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture. It is made of many indigo dye cotton fragments as cotton was precious in regions with cold climate. It has beautiful vegetable indigo faded and worn-out parts. The first half of the 20th century. W:85cm, L:90cm

Basket made of yama-budo (crimson glory vine) for body part and akebi (akebia vine) for handles. It is from Tohoku region, North-East of the Honshu. In excellent condition. 20th century. 48cm x 33cm x 16cm (body part)

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The brown stripe yarn and warp kasuri yarn are dyed with Sharinbai, a family of the rose tree. The small weft kasri 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. W:114cm, L:132cm

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of banana fiber for both wefts and warps. The yarn is rather thicker and tougher comparing with very fine yarn for thinner and higher quality bashofu, so that it is for a everyday kimono or work wear. Brown stripes are also banana fibers. Late 19th to early 20th century. In good condition except for a mending near the lower side in the back and wear near neck. 104cm x 115cm

Bashofu kimono made of several different pieces of bashofu with stripes. It is roughly sewn together, so it might be worn for a work wear. Both weft and warp are hand-plied. In good condition except for some stains. The first half of the 20th century. 124cm x 126cm

Four volumes of sample books of mingei textiles which are all natural dye and handwoven from Aomori to Kagoshima prefecture. Some are designated as intangible national assets, however some haven't been woven anymore now, and some are reproduced. They include precious bast fibers such as fuji-fu (wisteria), shina-fu, kuzu-fu and so on. They also have natural dye textiles such as shikon-zome, akane-zome, indigo dye Arimatsu Narumi shibori, tsumugi and so on...

A fisherman's work wear hand-woven of hemp for the weft and cotton yarn for the warp. Stripes are vegetable indigo dye and also natural color cotton yarn. 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 not woven since then, so it is precious, especially in this excellent condition one...

Maiwai-gi which is a festive kimono of fishermem. It was given to fishermen from a master of fishermen or an owner of a fish boat on the occasion of large catch. It is mostly made of cotton with auspicious motifs with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and partly hand painting. The original location of the Maiwai-gi is Boso peninsula in Chiba prefecture since late Edo period and spread along the Pacific Coast. This one has thick cotton lining so that it is made into yogi (kimono shaped bedding)...