Vintage & Antique Japanese Fabrics by Piece: Other Type Fabrics

78062: 1980s Japanese Tsumugi (Pongee) Silk, Arai-Hari 41in. Piece Pine Trees

Catalog#: 7806-2

1980's Arai Hari Cleaned Japanese Textiles:

Tsumugi Silk Kimono Fabric by Piece
Pine Trees Forest Interwoven

Width:14.25 inches / 36.2 cm
Length: 41 inches / 104.14 cm

US$15.00 Per Piece
Plus Shipping

Fabric History/Pedigree: 1980s 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, expert on Japanese textiles HERE .)
Description: This distinctive Japanese vintage traditional Tsumugi is a lightweight pongee-type silk that is made from black (dark indigo) colored background fabric; The Designs are interwoven (warp/lengthwise) multi-colored trees in groups/forest; size of individual trees: the largest one is 3 inches / 7.62 cm tall; colors are cranberry-red, mauve, greens, mustard and blues; note the fine pixelated plus signs and similar patterns threads used in the warp to render the trees; this is a most distinctive piece and has a minimalist appeal ( to us that is).

The fabric is very slightly translucent (only with bright light behind), and designs same on both sides; fabric is lightly textured to the touch with slight sheen;
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.

Popular with our antique Japanese textile aficionados and collectors

Cultural Background Note: From www.nippon-kichi.jp:

Tsumugi are silk textiles woven by hand using thread collected from the floss of the cocoons. The floss is made from debris of the cocoons and spun by hand into thread. Because the thread is called “tetsumugi ito” or “ tsumugi ito”, the textile made from the thread became to be known as tsumugi.

Tsumugi is characterized by its unique texture and dull gloss coming from subtle variations of the tsumugi threads. It is extremely durable and has been used for everyday clothes and working clothes since ancient times....

To read the rest of this explanation and learn more about tsumugi, please visit: www.nippon-kichi.jp

Below: Sample usage of tsumugi like this one: Hand-made purse using 1930's Doro Ohshima tsumugi silk, made by Fumi Sakanashi, YokoDana KImono's owner's sister, an award-winning quilter in Japan. The Doro Ohshima (mud-dyed) is the center patterned portion on both sides, with the solid areas and handles being new; shown in pictures below:

Fumi Sakanashi HandMade Purse (front)from Tsumugi

Fumi Sakanashi HandMade Purse (back)from Tsumugi