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唐織 茶地向鶴菱模様 / ColBase(東京国立博物館蔵)

Senshoku (Dyeing and Weaving)

Japanese somemono and orimono dyeing and weaving crafts. With histories stretching far into the past, the crafts culturally blossomed during the Edo period.

A term encompassing somemono textile-dyeing and orimono textile-weaving. Generally refers to the dyeing and weaving of textile fibers without extending to the cutting and sewing processes undertaken to bring them to completion as garments.

While fiber materials such as wool are commonly used outside Japan, silk, hemp, and cotton are primary materials used in Japan, and commonly used dyes include safflower, indigo, and gardenia. Accordingly, it can be said that Japanese senshoku crafts primarily feature natural materials.

Though the earliest date of dyeing and weaving crafts being practiced in the Japanese archipelago may not be clear, a passage in Nihonshoki (“The Chronicles of Japan”) describes an offering of silkworm eggs made in 199 by Koman-O, a settler from China or Korea. As far as verifiable relics, there are the Horyu-ji gire and Shosoin gire group of textile fragments passed down from the Asuka (592–710) and Nara (710–794) periods. Another famous example is the Tenjukoku Shucho Mandala at the Chugu-ji temple in Nara Prefecture said to have been made at the request of Princess Tachibana no Oiratsume as she was mourning the death of Prince Shotoku.

Dyeing and weaving crafts developed further from the Heian period (794–1185) on, particularly in Kyoto, though actual items dating to the Muromachi period (1336–1573) or before are scarce, due to the fact that over half of Kyoto was destroyed by fire in the Onin War (1467–1477). The appearance of items from the period can be deduced from paintings such as the Genji Monogatari Emaki (“Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls”).

Artisans who had dispersed to various locations including Sakai to avoid war during the Sengoku period (1467–1590) gradually made returns to Kyoto, and with the birth of Nishijin-ori textiles and so on, textile manufacturing resumed. Noh costumes used in Noh plays which was established toward the beginning of the Muromachi period (1336–1415) and blossomed during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603), form a collection of gorgeous artistic handicrafts. From karaori, literally “Chinese weave,” a type of brocade using all types of colored threads, as well as gold and silver threads, with the weft threads “floated” in an embroidery-style raised weave, to surihaku, which features gold and silver leaf applied to embroidery, many outstanding Noh costumes exist that are well worth viewing.

The stability of the Edo period (1603–1868) in Japan brought the creation of a groundbreaking dyeing and weaving craft called yuzen-zome, which uses a resist-dyeing technique. Further crafting techniques were developed throughout the late Edo period (c. 1750–1850) as well, including stencil-dyed Wa-sarasa, a form of Japanese calico produced in imitation of Indian calico textiles.

Related People, Things and Events

Books

Related Works

Horyu-ji and Shoso-in textile fragments

Karaori (literally “Chinese weave,” a colorful weft-float brocade)

Surihaku (a style featuring gold or silver leaf applied to cloth or embroidery)

Tsujigahana (a textile technique featuring tie-dyed fabric adorned with pictures, impressed foil, or embroidery)

Yuzen-zome (a dyeing technique featuring hand-drawing and rice-paste resist dyeing)

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Institutions Holding Related Materials

  • The National Diet Library (NDL), founded in 1948, is the library which belongs to the Diet. The NDL assists the activities of the National Diet. The Library collects and conserves materials and information both from Japan and abroad, serving as a foundation of knowledge and culture and providing library services to administrative and judicial entities and Japanese citizens.

  • As Japan’s representative museum, Tokyo National Museum collects, preserves, displays, and researches the cultural properties of Asia with a focus on Japan, and also provides educational programs.

  • 所在地は石川県金沢市。東京国立近代美術館の分館として、染織のほか、陶磁、ガラス、漆工、木工、竹工、人形、金工、工業デザイン、グラフィック・デザインなど、近現代の工芸およびデザイン作品を展示紹介する。

  • 所在地は東京都目黒区。民衆が日常的に用いた工芸品(民藝品)に顕れた美しさを世に示すため、哲学者の柳宗悦が1936年に創設した施設。江戸時代から明治時代の衣裳や裂地など約1500点を収蔵する。

  • 所在地は東京都渋谷区。「衣」をテーマとした服飾専門の博物館。染織品についても多彩なコレクションを持っている。

  • 所在地は東京都港区。日本・東洋古美術を中心とした収蔵品を7,400件以上持つ。

  • 所在地は兵庫県神戸市。日本初の「ファッション」をテーマとした公立美術館。特別展や企画展を行っている。

External Links

  • 国立文化財機構の4つの国立博物館 (東京国立博物館、京都国立博物館、 奈良国立博物館、九州国立博物館)と研究所(奈良文化財研究所)が 所蔵する国宝・重要文化財の高精細画像を見られる。

  • 日本工芸会は、重要無形文化財保持者(いわゆる人間国宝)を中心に伝統工芸作家、技術者等で組織する団体。染織分野で人間国宝に指定された作家と作品を紹介している。

  • 石川県の加賀友禅や沖縄県の琉球紅型など、全国各地の染織品を見ることができる。それぞれの特徴、作業風景、作り方など各地の染織品の魅力を伝えている。

References

  1. 三瓶孝子 著,至文堂
  2. 河上繁樹, 藤井健三 著,昭和堂