Vintage Japanese Kimono Fabrics by Pieces: Japanese Textile Fabric Swatches

7603: 1970s Japanese Pongee Silk Ohshima Tsumugi,61 inches Arai-Hari

1970's Ohshima Tsumugi (Pongee) Silk Fabric

Used/Cleaned Arai-Hari

Catalog# 7603

Width:14.5 inches / 36.83 cm
Length: 61 inches / 154.94 cm

US$20.00 per piece
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Item Details and Description

Fabric History/Pedigree: 1970s fabric from kimono pieces from an Arai Hari (special Japanese kimono cleaner -- see info on Arai-Hari HERE from John Marshall, expert on Japanese textiles .)

This is a special delicate lightweight Ohshima tsumugi silk from Amami Islands, Japan. Details on this part of Japan's special pongee silk-making process can be found on the National Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan website, which explains the natural plant dyes and mud etc. used in making Ohshima Tsumugi, quoted here:

Characteristics: A plain woven silk fabric with pre-dyed scoured threads both for warp and weft. The color is refined and calm and the fabric is soft and difficult to wrinkle. Threads are dyed with plant dyes such as "Techiki" (Raphilolepis umbellata) and indigo (Persicaria tinctoria) with a technique, peculiar only to "Oshima Tsumugi," called "Ori Jime." As a variety, an additional treatment is made to the dyed thread by dipping them in muddy water. It is "Doro(mud) Zome(dyeing)." There are several kinds of "Oshima Tsumugi":"Doro Oshima," "Ai(indigo) Oshima," "Doro Ai Oshima," "Iro(color) Oshima" and "Natsu(summer) Oshima."

Fabric Description Details:

Lightweight, minimally translucent Oshima Tsumugi silk fabricwith design the same on both sides; Background color is an indigo-blue/black with bright gray, giving the fabric a gray-blue hue, due to the slight iridescence and the Ohshima style weaving; as is typical of Ohshima Tsumugi of this time, the entire background is rendered in tiny pixelated micro-lines/Xs/+/dots, rendering the design of large scale (largest is the hexagonal shapes of 9.5 inches X 6.5 inches, 24.13cm X 16.51cm); other figures are rhombic shapes, slightly smaller; all shapes have nested figures within; the larger shapes have medallions, the rhombic shapes have multiple nested rhombic shapes within; Note the burgundy-red accents at center of the elongated hexagon shapes; The nature of the weave is such that the fabric has slight sheen; same on both sides.

Recommended for making scarf/accessories.

NOTE: All designs are the result of a pixelated effect: tiny pixelated lines, dots, created in the weaving/dyeing process (please see closeups); selvage on both sides is .25 inch (6.35mm) fabric slightly stiff, some drape.

Colors: Please use our text color descriptions to complement your sense of the fabric due to differences in contrast and color on different devices.

Condition: EXCELLENT,

Popular with our antique Japanese textile aficionados and collectors.