Vintage Japanese Kimono Fabrics by Pieces: Japanese Textile Fabric Swatches

7790: 1970s Japanese Ohshima Tsumugi Silk,61in. Arai-Hari Oblique Geometric Grid

1970's Ohshima Tsumugi (Pongee) Silk Fabric
Used/Cleaned Arai-Hari

Catalog# 7790

Width:14.875(7/8) inches / 36.83 cm
Length: 61 inches / 154.94 cm

US$17.00 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 fabric with design the same on both sides; Background color is tight weave black-white pixelated; Designs are obtusely angled geometric shapes drawn in light-gray 1/8th(.125) inch / 3.17mm wide lines; The fabric is full-on grid of these odd shapes as a grid serving as background, and dark trapezoid shapes with black background and gray nature designs in off-white and dark colonial blue, giving the fabric a gray-blue hue;

DETAILS ON Ohshima Tsumugi weave: Due to the slight iridescence and the Ohshima style weaving please note these details; As is typical of Ohshima Tsumugi of this time, the entire background is rendered in tiny pixelated micro-lines/Xs/+/dots; as for scale: the longest dimension on these obtuse geometric grid figures is 7 inches; The nature of the weave is such that the fabric has slight sheen in brighter lighting; same patterns on both sides.

Recommended for making scarf/accessories.

NOTE: All designs result from 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, minimal 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.