is a Japanese fabric

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...

ing technique that originated in the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

History

The name ''tsujigahana'' translates to "flowers at the crossroads". Documents from the Muromachi and Momoyama periods use the term to describe garments, but are unclear about whether the term refers to color, motifs, or dyeing methods. During the 20th century, scholars redefined ''tsujigahana'' to refer to a specific textile technique that uses stitch-resist dyeing (''nuishime shibori'') and ink painting to decorate a

plain weave Plain weave (also called tabby weave, linen weave or taffeta weave) is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaving, weaves (along with satin weave and twill). It is strong and hard-wearing, and is used for fashion and furnishin ...

, lightweight fabric, often

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

. The fabric is often further embellished using embroidery and gold leaf. Historically, tsujigahana garments were worn by the Japanese upper class during the 16th century. After the death of a man, these garments would have been preserved as family heirlooms. However, for tsujigahana garments owned by women, these garments were often donated to

Buddhist temples A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent ...

to pay for the memorial service. Temples deconstructed these garments into individual textile fragments and reconfigured them into temple decorations. During the 19th century, Buddhist temples lost the financial protection of the state, and many temples sold these decorations. They began to circulate on the antiques market, and were often deconstructed into the original fabric panels or fragments. Tsujigahana is a variety of

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

created by the technique of

shibori is a Japanese manual tie-dyeing technique, which produces a number of different patterns on fabric. History Some discussion exists as to the origin of as a technique within Japan, and indeed, the exact country of origin of some of the earlies ...

. The extravagant patterns were rather more picturesque and it was more eye-catching than other ordinary kinds of kimono. Tsujigahana technique is in a shroud of mystery as it is not clearly known who invented it or why it was called Tsujigahana. The technique lasted for two era from

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

for about 300 to 400 years. It quickly became forgotten after the rise of

Japanese handicrafts Traditional in Japan have a long tradition and history. Included in the category of traditional crafts are handicrafts produced by an individual or a group, as well as work produced by independent studio artists working with traditional craft m ...

technique. But Tsujigahana nevertheless contributed a lot for the decorative art phase in Azuchi-Momoyama period.

20th century revival

The art style was revived by Itchiku Kubota (1917–2003). Although the exact methods for recreating ''tsujigahana'' were lost, in 1962, he was able to recreate the style using his own methods, called ''Itchiku Tsujigahana''. His life's work was a series of eighty kimono, known as the ''Symphony of Light''. The series of kimono comprise a panoramic depiction of the four seasons, the oceans, and the universe. Kubota died before completing the collection, and his son, Satoshi Kubota, is continuing the work. Itchiku founded the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum.

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

* http://www.kimonoexhibit.com/search.htm * http://www.somesho.com/kitsuke/17_Gihou/1703_Tsujigahana/index.html * http://itchiku-tsujigahana.co.jp/artwork/ (in Japanese) Japanese dyeing techniques {{japan-hist-stub