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: Multicolored Past-Resist Dyeing - Part 1
Yuzen: Multi-colored Paste-Resist Dyeing - Part II
Introduction
Arabesque is a complex, ornate design of intertwined floral, foliage, and geometric figures. In Japanese it known as Karakusa. In general the Japanese variant consists of patterns of circular and elliptical shapes of stems and leaves drawn by an unlimited number of diagonal lines of simple and defined patterns, thereby creating an image of endlessly linked forms.
The simple type of Karakusa pattern can still be seen today in Japan on fabrics for items such as Furoshiki, ticks and various types of bags, which are an integral part of Japanese daily life. Hence it has become one of the most commonly used patterns in Japan.
An example of original cloth with medium-sized motifs used for everyday clothing of the common people.
The tome – “Textile Design In Japan: Traditional Arabesque”, Kamon Yoshimoto, Graphic-sha Publishing Co. Ltd., Tokyo (1977) - presents 550 stunning patterns. The book contains five categories, with today’s post concentrating on Indigo arabesque patterns (stencil dyed). This category contains 108 patterns. The overview below gives you just a glimpse of some of the Indigo arabesque patterns (stencil dyed) in this book - a must buy!
Brief History of Karakusa Patterns
The popularity of Karakusa patterns dates from the second half of the Edo period (1604-1867). The patterns were first introduced into Japan during the Asuka (592 – 710) and the Nara (711 – 794) periods via trade with the Chinese mainland. While the original pattern was called Karakusa, it was followed by more decorative patterns of Renge and Ungyo, the latter of which was worn by court nobles, aristocrats and priests.
With the advent of the Kamakura period (1192-1333) and with the samurai class gaining more and more power, the samurai began to use these patterned fabrics both for their everyday clothing as well as for their amour. When the tea ceremony began to flourish, the import of luxurious materials and Sarasa cloth dyed with Karakusa and Soka patterns were greatly supported by feudal lords, samurai and people of sophisticated taste. Even some of the rich merchants who were on good terms with feudal lords and samurai wore luxurious apparel, which eventually spread to the common people as a new fashion.
As peace reigned, the shogunate during the second half of the Edo period, issued a proclamation to the public from time-to-time warning them against indulging in luxury. As a consequence, the public began wearing cotton instead of silk garments. This caused a dilemma that needed to be resolved – how could cotton fabrics be made to look beautiful and how do you wear cotton garments with refinement? The Karakusa patterns were taken up in order to resolve this dilemma and so these patterns gained popularity in Edo (Tokyo), Kyoto and then finally swept the country. The Karakusa patterns were adopted for fabrics used for making articles such as mattresses, ticks, clothing, Furoshiki etc. and so infiltrate all aspects of daily life.
Since the end of the second world war, the use of traditional Karakusa patterns have been in a slow decline in Japan.
Indigo Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Stencil Dyed)
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 1.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 6.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 26.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 32.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 38.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 40.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 46.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 47.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 51.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 62.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 82.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 91.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 94.
Indigo Arabesque Pattern Number 103.
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: Multicolored Past-Resist Dyeing - Part 1
Yuzen: Multi-colored Paste-Resist Dyeing - Part II
Introduction
Arabesque is a complex, ornate design of intertwined floral, foliage, and geometric figures. In Japanese it known as Karakusa. In general the Japanese variant consists of patterns of circular and elliptical shapes of stems and leaves drawn by an unlimited number of diagonal lines of simple and defined patterns, thereby creating an image of endlessly linked forms.
The simple type of Karakusa pattern can still be seen today in Japan on fabrics for items such as Furoshiki, ticks and various types of bags, which are an integral part of Japanese daily life. Hence it has become one of the most commonly used patterns in Japan.
The tome – “Textile Design In Japan: Traditional Arabesque”, Kamon Yoshimoto, Graphic-sha Publishing Co. Ltd., Tokyo (1977) - presents 550 stunning patterns. The book contains five categories, with today’s post concentrating on Indigo arabesque patterns (stencil dyed). This category contains 108 patterns. The overview below gives you just a glimpse of some of the Indigo arabesque patterns (stencil dyed) in this book - a must buy!
Brief History of Karakusa Patterns
The popularity of Karakusa patterns dates from the second half of the Edo period (1604-1867). The patterns were first introduced into Japan during the Asuka (592 – 710) and the Nara (711 – 794) periods via trade with the Chinese mainland. While the original pattern was called Karakusa, it was followed by more decorative patterns of Renge and Ungyo, the latter of which was worn by court nobles, aristocrats and priests.
With the advent of the Kamakura period (1192-1333) and with the samurai class gaining more and more power, the samurai began to use these patterned fabrics both for their everyday clothing as well as for their amour. When the tea ceremony began to flourish, the import of luxurious materials and Sarasa cloth dyed with Karakusa and Soka patterns were greatly supported by feudal lords, samurai and people of sophisticated taste. Even some of the rich merchants who were on good terms with feudal lords and samurai wore luxurious apparel, which eventually spread to the common people as a new fashion.
As peace reigned, the shogunate during the second half of the Edo period, issued a proclamation to the public from time-to-time warning them against indulging in luxury. As a consequence, the public began wearing cotton instead of silk garments. This caused a dilemma that needed to be resolved – how could cotton fabrics be made to look beautiful and how do you wear cotton garments with refinement? The Karakusa patterns were taken up in order to resolve this dilemma and so these patterns gained popularity in Edo (Tokyo), Kyoto and then finally swept the country. The Karakusa patterns were adopted for fabrics used for making articles such as mattresses, ticks, clothing, Furoshiki etc. and so infiltrate all aspects of daily life.
Since the end of the second world war, the use of traditional Karakusa patterns have been in a slow decline in Japan.
Indigo Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Stencil Dyed)
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