is a form of brocading from

Saga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasa ...

, Japan. It is a unique form of brocading in that

Japanese paper is traditional Japanese paper. The term is used to describe paper that uses local fiber, processed by hand and made in the traditional manner. ''Washi'' is made using fibers from the inner bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub ('' ...

is used as the warp. This paper is coated in either

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

or lacquer. The

weft Warp and weft are the two basic components used in weaving to turn thread or yarn into fabric. The lengthwise or longitudinal warp yarns are held stationary in tension on a frame or loom while the transverse weft (sometimes woof) is dra ...

is a

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 ...

thread which is

dyed Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...

. As the technique is time-consuming, only several inches are produced each day.

History

Saga Nishiki was created at the end of the

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 characte ...

by Kashima Nabeshima, the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...

'' of Saga. At this time it was referred to as Kashima Nishiki. It was not until the Japan–British Exhibition of 1910 that it was renamed "Saga Nishiki".Saga Chamber of Commerce and Industry

', August 2, 2007.

Gallery

Image:Saga_nishiki_2.jpg, A woman brocades Image:Saga_nishiki_3.jpg, A Saga nishiki fabric Image:Saga_nishiki_4.jpg, A Saga nishiki fabric Image:Saga_nishiki_5.jpg, A handbag Image:Saga_Nishiki_6.jpg, A handbag Image:Saga_Nishiki_7.jpg, A handbag Image:Saga_Nishiki_8.jpg, A brooch Image:Saga_Nishiki_9.jpg, The gold threads used in the brocade Image:Saga_Nishiki_10.jpg, Detail of a Saga nishiki design

History

Gallery

References

External links

See also