Vintage & Antique Japanese Fabrics by Piece: Other Type Fabrics

7780:1930-50s Japanese Meisen Silk 39in. Piece (AraiHari)Abstract Modern, Checkerboard

Catalog# 7780

1930s-1950s Japanese Textiles:

From Arai-Hari Cleaners
Japanese Kimono Meisen Silk Fabric Piece
Modernistic/Abstract Checkerboard

Width: 14 inches / 35.56 cm
Length: 39 inches / 99.06 cm

US$14.00 per piece plus shipping

Item Details and Description

Fabric History/Pedigree: 1950s or earlier silk fabric pieces received from traditional Japanese kimono cleaner/reconstructor called Arai-Hari -- see an excellent explanation of traditional Arai Hari by textile expert John Marshall, by click-pushing HERE.
This sort of abstract and modernistic sort of kimono fabric design was big after the war (after 1945), as Japanese artists and designers felt liberated from the oppression in Japan during the war and experimented with many creative looks, like this one (This is just our opinion, Yoko).

Fabric Description: Meisen silk, lightweight, slightly translucent with the background color being black with cream-white rectangular figure in a checkerboard-like array, with interesting Sumi-e stroke-like designs within the white rectangles; NOTE: To our eye, some of these dabs resemble hiragana (cursive Japanese phonetic alphabet), others not; The strokes are in pastels: lighter hue reds, grays, & greens(olive); also, note the borders of the check figures alternate yellow to blue-gray fuzzy boundaries; note the intentionally fuzzy edges to all figures & lines, evocative of kasuri; This piece same on both sides; minimal sheen; soft, probably intended for making summer kimono.
Colors: Please NOTE that colors and contrast differ on each device, so please use our text descriptions to complement your sense of the fabric.
Condition: Excellent.
Recommended for making scarf/accessories.

Background Information on Meisen Kimonos:

Meisen is defined literally in our Kenkyuusha dictionary as "...common silk stuff"; meisen fabrics (or garments made from them) are currently called 'meisen'; Meisen kimono were made similarly to Kasuri (ikat), though meisen usually have very colorful patterns with distinct -- often more modern -- motifs and a slight sheen; 1950s meisen have intentionally fuzzy, almost Impressionistic look and frequently larger designs; Kasuri/ikat, of course, is mostly indigo blue and some white with black. To learn more about kasuri click here.

To see pictures of meisen silk vintage kimonos from Google, touch HERE.

Other Cultural Notes: The best discussion we've found of Meisen silk fabric was on an old blog post by Japundit, excerpted here*:

"...Young women have rediscovered(Japan Times) the kimono, and you can see them out in Harajuku on the Sunday fashion parade. There's even a term for these girls -- not surprisingly they are called "kimono girls." There are even some nice books documenting the trend which you can check out at J-List and are definitely worth having if you are at all into fashion.

"The meisen kimono in particular has become very popular. These kimono were made in the first half of the twentieth century, and were characterized by a glossy sheen, and brilliant patterns. There is often a sort of blurry quality to the silks...."

[*original article has been pulled]

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