is a traditional

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

ese artform of making

braid A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...

s and

cord Cord or CORD may refer to: People * Alex Cord (1933–2021), American actor and writer * Chris Cord (born 1940), American racing driver * Errett Lobban Cord (1894–1974) American industrialist * Ronnie Cord (1943–1986), Brazilian singer * Co ...

s. Literally meaning "gathered threads", are made by interlacing reels of yarn, commonly

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 th ...

, with the use of traditional, specialised

loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but t ...

s – either a or a (also known as a ). There are a number of different styles of weaving, which variously create a braided cord ranging from very flat to almost entirely rounded. cords are used as , cords worn belted around the front of some when wearing

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 ...

History

braids were first created by using

fingerloop braid Fingerloop braids worked in the "graine d'orge" or barleycorn pattern. Fingerloop braiding is a technique of making sturdy and decorative cords from threads. It is a type of braiding known as ''loop manipulation''. The braid is made from loops o ...

ing to weave different yarns together. Later, tools such as the and the were developed, allowing more complex braids to be woven in a shorter amount of time. In the present day, modern variations of weaving discs exist, typically made of firm, dense foam with roughly 32 notches around the edge, creating the tension necessary for weaving . These discs are considered to be a more affordable and portable alternative to a traditional , with many different sizes and shapes of disc available for purchase. However, a modern foam disc is also considered less versatile than a traditional , as the weaver is constrained to using no more than 32 different yarns, with their thickness predetermined by the width of the notch. also allow the weaver to create braids that are flat, four sided or hollow in nature, though rectangular or square foam discs, allowing the weaver to create a flat braid, do exist. The most prominent historical use of was by

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...

, as a functional and decorative way to lace their

lamellar armour Lamellar armour is a type of body armour, made from small rectangular plates (scales or ''lamellae'') of iron or steel, leather ( rawhide), or bronze laced into horizontal rows. Lamellar armour was used over a wide range of time periods in Centr ...

and their horses' armor (

barding Barding (also spelled ''bard'' or ''barb'') is body armour for war horses. The practice of armoring horses was first extensively developed in antiquity in the eastern kingdoms of Parthia and Pahlava. After the conquests of Alexander the Great ...

). cords are now used as ties on jackets and as , used to hold some knots in place or to decorate the when wearing kimono.

Related terms

* – the top braiding surface on a ; Japanese for "mirror". * – a class of patterns for round cord all involving eight threads folded in half for a total of sixteen strands. In clockwise order, each bobbin is moved to the opposite side. When different combinations of thread color are used, many interesting patterns emerge, including diagonal stripes, diamonds on a background, triangles resembling hearts, and tiny six-petalled flowers. * or – the frame for the braiding; Japanese for "round stand". * , decorative cords used to decorate objects such as envelopes. * – the broad cloth sash used in traditional dress; a belt, called the , is tied around the . * – a is a large, rectangular frame for creating flat, oblique braids. * –

bobbin A bobbin or spool is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which yarn, thread, wire, tape or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in industrial textile machinery, as well as in sewing machines, fishing reels, tape measu ...

s. The thread is kept from unwinding by passing the thread under itself, forming a loop around the . True silk is a hollow fiber with a rough surface that resists slipping past the loop unless gently pulled. For synthetic fibers, a flexible plastic "clamshell" bobbin may be preferable.

External links

Talzhemir's introductory handouts, in .PDF format, including Kongo Gumi and a pattern for a notched cardboard wheel

Instructions with diagrams

Braids Japanese folk art Japanese words and phrases Japanese weaving techniques Ropework Decorative ropework

History

Related terms

See also

External links