Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art (210)

Shonai obi (sash) hand-woven of cotton for warps and paper yarn for wefts. It is made in Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. It is dyed with vegetable indigo and has beautiful tassels in both ends. In excellent condition except for a few tiny stains. The first half of the 20th century. 29cm x 3m56cm

Two pieces of yogi (bedding) which are hand-sewn by a girl student at the sewing school which were established around 1880. It is called "hinagata" and generally one third of measurement of a real one. The left one is sodenashi yogi (sleeveless top cover) and the right one is yogi (top cover with sleeves). The purpose of making sewing samples is efficiency for time and material. It has been made till 1940s in the sewing school of which students are mostly girls...

A pair of cotton tabi with sashiko and a pair of kokake. Tabi is made of hand-spun white cotton and has nice sashiko for strength. Soles are machine-woven. Kokake is also made of hand-spun cotton and dyed with vegetable indigo and has fine sashiko for also strength. Kokake has no soles and it is worn over zori (Japanese sandals) for warmth and waterproof in winter. Both are in excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. Tabi L22.5cm, W10cm, H13cm Kokake L26cm, H14cm

Meisen kimono with kasuri red and black rectangular pattern. It has red red silk lining, so probably made in 1930s. In excellent condition. 124cm x 154cm

Silk Meisen unlined kimono with geometric pattern. Double kasuri (wefts and warps) is dyed with stencil-resist-dye (Heiyo-kasuri). Mid 20th century. In excellent condition. 126cm x 148cm

silk meisen lined kimono with dots which are double kasuri, both warp and weft are katazome dyed(stencil-resist-dye). In excellent condition except for a spot in the front panel, but it is folded inside and unseen when it is worn. Mid 20th century. 122cm x 151cm

A basket made of akebi (Akebia quinata) vine which is from Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. In excellent condition, no break. The first half of the 20th century. H:22cm, W:30cm, D:20cm

A basket made of bamboo strips and mountain grapevine which is a machete case. It is brought with a mountain worker. In good condition but has a few breaks near bottom. The first half of the 20th century. H:26cm, W:12cm, 4cm

Chogappo made of fragments of white choma (ramie) whose weft and warp are hand-plied. Natural color fragments are mixture of choma and silk. "Pojagi" is the general name for the wrapping cloth and "chogappo" is one kind of pojagi which is patchworked with asa (mainly choma, ramie) fragments.(reference source: "Korean Embroidery and Wrapping Cloths from the Choson Dynasty" published by Japan Art & Culture Association in 1995). The first half of the 20th century. In excellent condition...

Small bamboo basket box with washi. The corners of the bamboo basket are rather breakable, so it has nice washi for reinforcement outside as well as inside. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. 10.5cm x 16cm x 5.5cm (with a lid)

Ema (pictorial offering) with a pair of "Aka Oni and Ao Oni"(red and blue ogres) which is hand-painted. It is an offering at Kijin Shrine in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo which is the one of four shrines worshipping ogres in Japan. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. 14cm x 8cm x 0.8cm

Tsuto made of rice straw which is used for containing ceramic plates. It has a small wooden tag "12 plates". In old age, there was no plastic cushioning material so that rice straw was used much for it and for other crafts. In good condition and very few scraps which is usual for old crafts made of rice straw. The first half of the 20th century. Diameter:24cm, H:26cm

Saiho-hinagata (or hinagata), the sewing sample which is a miniature sample to learn sewing. It was invented by an educator for saving time and textile using a special measuring rod. It was practiced in a girl's school from Meiji 7, 1874). Reduced scales were one-third in the beginning and one-quarter, one-half, one-fifth etc. The sewing technique was exactly same as the real size in details. Saiho-hinagata was designated as a significant tangible folk cultural asset...

A bag made of hand-spun cotton with shibori (tie-dye) and katazome (stencil-resist-dye) pattern which is vegetable indigo dye. It has cotton lining with kasuri pattern which is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye and thinly padded with cotton. Generally in good condition except for a few stains. The first half of the 20th century. 30cm x 41cm

Sakiori obi for an everyday kimono. It is handwoven of cotton and silk strips of old kimono and cotton yarn for warps. Some wefts are from kimono with kasuri. In excellent condition. 20th century. W:16.5cm, L:2m92cm

A pair of boro tabi (socks) with sashiko, which is made of cotton and indigo dyed and has four metal straps. The lining is cotton flannel. The first half of the 20th century. W:9cm, L:21cm.

Bag handmade of bamboo strips with nice color. Handles are also made of thin bamboo sticks. In excellent condition, no break or loose part. The second half of the 20th century. W:39cm, H:23cm, 6cm

4 pieces of meisen cloth which used to be haori (jacket). The longer two have a horizontal 9cm cut in the middle for the neck. Generally in good condition but has some patina and stains. Mid 20th century. 36cm x 1m74cm x 2 (sleeves) 36cm x 2m68cm x 2 (body)