A taste for Japanese Textiles

                                                                        

I have for some time had an interest in Japanese textiles and clothing.  It all started out when I was given my Gran's silk kimono that she used to wear when applying makeup for the theatre. It was retrieved from the rubble when her home was decimated in the blitz during WW11.  Needless to say it  incurred a great deal of damage and I have, over time, been attempting to reclaim it in some form.  I have been seeking out and researching kimonos and silk fabrics from the late 1800's/early 1900's as a result.

My pursuit has taken me to many areas and in particular,  I have had the pleasure of dealing with a company, Ichiroya, in Osaka Japan, owned and operated by a mother and daughter team. I search their site weekly for the one elusive fabric I require for my project and I am often sidetracked by the beauty of their incredible stock of kimonos, uchikake, furisodes, obis, fabrics and accessories.  On a recent foray into their inventory, I was struck by an amazing vintage men's haori and purchased it as a gift for my son, who is a lover of all things Japanese. 
                                                                 
                                                                                                                   
A haori is a light weight coat worn over a kimono.  It is not meant to be worn closed and is not belted. It is technically a kimono-like jacket, hip or thigh length, which adds formality to an outfit.
My purchase is a two toned dark brown silk of exquisite texture - the kind of soft silk that one could get lost in. It has a most interesting woven patttern on the back with a Noh mask of an old man and a Noh book, probably a script.

                   
                                          Rear View of Haori with Noh mask and book

Noh is a classical form of Japanese musical drama performed since the 14th century.  Many characters in the plays are masked, with men playing both male and female roles. 

           
                                                         Close up of mask and script

You will note that there is a large fold right down the middle of the back and although it looks
pronounced, in fact, it is something that should steam out easily enough with a bit of patience and care.

                        

                                        
 As is the case with most masculine haoris, the front is rather plain with little or no decoration. 

Now you may wonder how one can hang up these gorgeous specimens with the huge sleeves.  Certainly no ordinary clothes hanger would suffice.  But yes, there are special kimono hangers and
I've pictured one here for you.

                                                           Kimono hanger closed

 

                                                           Kimono Hanger Extended

                 

I still haven't found the silk I am looking for but in spite of my ongoing quest, I am loving the diversions along the way (-:

In a future post, I will discuss Boro textiles and show you a piece from my collection.