Japanese Textile Art

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DESCRIPTION: This whimsical portrayal of amusing masks used as toys and entertainment, as well as festivals, provides fascinating insights into the life and customs of Old Japan. Images from everyday life in traditional Japan are commonly referred to as "Yamato-e." Here they are revealed in the guise of masks. The bright colors, vibrant and exotic figures are images that have survived through woodblocks and fabric art and appear yet today in children's stories, folk tales, popular festivals, and in characters and plots of the popular Kabuki and Bunraku Theatres.

The silk has been handwoven and then hand stenciled using natural dyes. This is a wonderful example of a fragment from a finely hand stenciled Child's Kimono. A garment whose design has been stenciled takes an enormous amount of time and effort to create. First, the stencil “paper” must be created through a tedious process of working the leaves from the mulberry tree into a pulp, which is then sandwiched together and treated with persimmon juice in order to produce a strong stencil. A design as fine as this one takes a great deal of skill to cut, and would be further reinforced by laying fine threads of silk to keep it together during the time that it was used to paint the pattern on the silk of the Kimono.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan

TYPE TEXTILE: Antique, hand stenciled fragment from a child's Kimono

APPROXIMATE DATE OR PERIOD: Meiji Era (1868 - 1912), prior to the turn of the Century

FABRIC CONTENT and CONDITION: Hand woven and hand stenciled antique Silk in excellent condition

FINISHED SIZE: 18 1/2 inches wide x 12 1/2 inches high

PRESENTATION: The masks have been flanked with 2 1/2 inches of the black Haori silk on both sides. At each side, a hand woven black silk trim with white "crows feet" looking threads, which go well with the whimsy and gaiety of the masks, have been placed. Next to that trim is a 1/4 th inch stripe of fold-over flange of a burgundy color which matches the silk. Around the perimeter of the pillow is a black silk piping. The back has been taken from an antique black silk Haori and placed in such a way as to create the illusion of the Lapels kissing at the center back vertically, with 2 silk loops to thread through and tie in the manner in which Haori's tie in their fronts. A panel of the burgundy is stitched behind the lapels, similar to a peek-a-boo situation with the single tie dominating. The pillow is filled with with the finest white duck down to augment its luxury.

A Certificate of Authenticity is included.

PRICE: $650

TTAC will personally pack and ship via UPS at company expense within the continental United States.