81202 Vintage 1960s Doro Ohshima Tsumugi Silk Fabric Piece 81202 Mud-Dyed Japanese Pongee with Kikko, Fan & Hanabishi Kasuri Weave Motifs

Catalog#: 8120-2

1950s-1960s Arai Hari Cleaned Japanese Textiles:  

Doro (Mud-Dyed) Ohshima Tsumugi (Pongee) Silk Piece

Classic Elements Motifs:

Kikko (tortoise), Fans, Hanabishi(Floral Diamonds 
in metallic kasuri-style weave (warp-weft)

Width:14.5 inches / 36.83 cm
Length: 46 inches / 118.64 m

US$20.00 per piece, plus shipping

• Fabric History/Pedigree:  1950s-1960s pieces received from a traditional Japanese kimono cleaner/reconstructor called Arai-Hari -- see an excellent explanation of traditional Arai Hari by textile expert John Marshall by clicking HERE; 

• Description:  This distinctive Japanese vintage traditional Tsumugi silk is a thinner light-weight summer pongee-type silk; due to the Mud-dyed process(Doro), color background is dark brown, black in lower light; the motifs (detailed above) are in soft metallic silver or gold, both colors give off a burnished, less shining metallic; this piece's weave is warp-weft kasuri process, creating this pattern by way of the Ohshima tsumugi-weave; This thin, lightweight piece is slightly translucent,  probably from summer garment, slightly stiff  but softer than many other tsumugi;  fabric is the same on both sides; Selvedge on both sides is irrecular-about 3/8inch / 9.53mm; 
  
  Ohshima Tsumugi(Pongee) Cultural Background Info:
  
  Kimonos made from Doro-Ohshima Tsumugi are held in high regard among kimono traditionalists in Japan, given that the Imperial family has been known to wear such fabric in Royal kimonos.
  
  
• Colors: Please NOTE that colors and contrast vary by device, so use our text descriptions to complement your sense of the fabric.
  
  
• Condition: Excellent.

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 the above and learn more about tsumugi, please  visit: www.nippon-kichi.jp Below: 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:

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