Preamble
For your convenience I have listed other posts on Japanese textiles on this blogspot:
Discharge Thundercloud
The Basic Kimono Pattern
The Kimono and Japanese Textile Designs
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part I)
Textile Dyeing Patterns of Japan
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part II)
Sarasa Arabesque Patterns (Part III)
Contemporary Japanese Textile Creations
Shibori (Tie-Dying)
History of the Kimono
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part I
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part II
The History of the Obi
Japanese Embroidery (Shishu)
Japanese Dyed Textiles
Aizome (Japanese Indigo Dyeing)
Stencil-Dyed Indigo Arabesque Patterns (Part V)
Japanese Paintings on Silk
Tsutsugaki - Freehand Paste-Resist Dyeing
Street Play in Tokyo
Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Designs
Japanese Colors and Inks on Paper From the Idemitsu Collection
Yuzen: Multi-Colored Past-Resist Dyeing - Part 1
Yuzen: Multi-Colored Paste-Resist Dyeing - Part II
Katazome (Stencil Dyeing) - Part III [1]
Katazome textiles were developed as a substitute for more ornate fabrics, to be worn by commoners. Dyers were encouraged to imitate the motifs of sumptuous embroideries, appliqués, shibori, and silk weaves for use on cotton kimonos. With the help of the stencil cutters, they develped many new designs. Stripes, clouds, grasses, flowers, trees, basket weaves, bamboo, and other motifs decorated the new textiles. The stencil cutters from Ise, the stencil center of Japan, sent their designs all over the country to be sold by itinerant salesmen, and they still practice their trade today. Antique stencils can usually be found at the flea markets held regularly throughout Japan.
Below are three stencil-dyed cotton hand towels that may also be used as headbands.
Komon means small crests and is a pattern of small, all-over repeating motifs. Originally, it was mostly used in dyeing leather and bast fibers, and later it was used on silk. Komon patterns are created by applying rice-paste resist through a paper stencil and then dyeing the cloth in a single color. The sizes of motifs vary, ranging from life-size depictions of blossoms to tiny pin-point dots. One of the finest komon fabrics is called 'same' (shark skin) komon, and it was first used for the ceremonial attire of Edo-period samurai, the garment was known as kamishimo. Early Edo-period komon on silk shows a simple geometric arrangement of three to seven dots reserved in white on blue.
Below are three samples of komon stencils.
Soon kimono fabric with various kinds of komon designs was widely appreciated by women in Edo for its subdued, elegant coloring and regular arrangement, and komon fabrics were used for both informal and semi-formal kimonos. The popularity of the fabric in the shogun's capital gave rise to the name Edo komon, by which it is often known today.
Samples of komon fabrics.
Reference:
[1] A. Yang and R. M. Narasin, Shufunotomo. Co. Ltd.,Tokyo (1989).
For your convenience I have listed other posts on Japanese textiles on this blogspot:
Discharge Thundercloud
The Basic Kimono Pattern
The Kimono and Japanese Textile Designs
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part I)
Textile Dyeing Patterns of Japan
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part II)
Sarasa Arabesque Patterns (Part III)
Contemporary Japanese Textile Creations
Shibori (Tie-Dying)
History of the Kimono
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part I
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part II
The History of the Obi
Japanese Embroidery (Shishu)
Japanese Dyed Textiles
Aizome (Japanese Indigo Dyeing)
Stencil-Dyed Indigo Arabesque Patterns (Part V)
Japanese Paintings on Silk
Tsutsugaki - Freehand Paste-Resist Dyeing
Street Play in Tokyo
Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Designs
Japanese Colors and Inks on Paper From the Idemitsu Collection
Yuzen: Multi-Colored Past-Resist Dyeing - Part 1
Yuzen: Multi-Colored Paste-Resist Dyeing - Part II
Katazome (Stencil Dyeing) - Part III [1]
Katazome textiles were developed as a substitute for more ornate fabrics, to be worn by commoners. Dyers were encouraged to imitate the motifs of sumptuous embroideries, appliqués, shibori, and silk weaves for use on cotton kimonos. With the help of the stencil cutters, they develped many new designs. Stripes, clouds, grasses, flowers, trees, basket weaves, bamboo, and other motifs decorated the new textiles. The stencil cutters from Ise, the stencil center of Japan, sent their designs all over the country to be sold by itinerant salesmen, and they still practice their trade today. Antique stencils can usually be found at the flea markets held regularly throughout Japan.
Below are three stencil-dyed cotton hand towels that may also be used as headbands.
Komon means small crests and is a pattern of small, all-over repeating motifs. Originally, it was mostly used in dyeing leather and bast fibers, and later it was used on silk. Komon patterns are created by applying rice-paste resist through a paper stencil and then dyeing the cloth in a single color. The sizes of motifs vary, ranging from life-size depictions of blossoms to tiny pin-point dots. One of the finest komon fabrics is called 'same' (shark skin) komon, and it was first used for the ceremonial attire of Edo-period samurai, the garment was known as kamishimo. Early Edo-period komon on silk shows a simple geometric arrangement of three to seven dots reserved in white on blue.
Below are three samples of komon stencils.
Soon kimono fabric with various kinds of komon designs was widely appreciated by women in Edo for its subdued, elegant coloring and regular arrangement, and komon fabrics were used for both informal and semi-formal kimonos. The popularity of the fabric in the shogun's capital gave rise to the name Edo komon, by which it is often known today.
Reference:
[1] A. Yang and R. M. Narasin, Shufunotomo. Co. Ltd.,Tokyo (1989).
