Miscellaneous Antique Japanese Textiles
5657: 1960's Japanese Pongee Silk Ohshima Tsumugi,Yard

Catalog# 5657
Rare Japanese Textiles:
1960's Ohshima Tsumugi
(Pongee) Silk Fabric
Width: 14.25 inches / 36.2 cm
Length: 1 yard / 91.4 cm
US$10.00 per yard

Item Details and Description
Fabric History/Pedigree: 1960's deadstock (unused, older stock) special 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:
The design is same on both sides, black fabric background with thin dark blue lines running horizontally to create various geometric shapes and flowers(see close-ups);
Condition: EXCELLENT.
Popular with our antique Japanese textile aficionados and collectors.
More from this collection