The two pics of the kimono in my last post are of a certain type of textiles called Tsujigahana. This type of work flourished in medieval Japan and was revived by a master craftsman called Itchiku Kubota after the 2nd world war. Here is a quote where he speaks of how he felt when seeing a small surviving fragment of the lost art of Tsujigahana.
"My heart was beating faster; I was moved, trembling and fascinated in the face of such mastery and refinement of beauty. For over three hours I remained transfixed there in the deserted museum hall contemplating this little fragment of fabric which seemed to have been on display in the showcase for me alone.The encounter had been intense, charged with mystery. I later thought that, if such a thing as reincarnation did exist, then the creator of this Tsujigahana dye would have been me."
It's a very time-consuming and complex art involving stitching and repeated immersion in the dye baths to produce beautiful glowing colours and patterns. It can take up to one year to make one kimono by hand! There is a museum dedicated to his work near Mt. Fuji that I hope to visit whilst in japan.
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