JAPANESE EMBROIDERY (Nihon Shishu)
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JAPANESE EMBROIDERY (Nihon Shishu) flg. 1 Hand-embroideredfukusa (detail), Meiji period (1890s) Text and photographs courtesy of Arjen de Winter Japanese kimono is one of the most highly valued other textile-based artic1es used in daily life, from bags to Atypes of traditional dress in the world. It is not fukusa (presentation wrappers) (see fig. 1), and wall only appreciated because of the actual cost, but more decorations to bedspreads. To understand the intricacy of because of the design elements used to create high quality Japanese embroidery we look at the actual technique as kimono. studied in the worldwide organization Kurenai-kai. The shape and cut of a kimono is basically the same for all styles, but the uniqueness of each comes from the First a bit of history differing materials, colours, designs and techniques used to Although it was little known outside Japan until about decorate it. 25 years ago, traditional Japanese embroidery has been an The three main techniques defining the value of a integral part of Japan's culture for a millennium. It carne to kimono are: embroidery, shibori (tie-dyeing) and yuzen Japan from China through Korea by the route known as the dyeing. If all three are found (and it has a good pattern), a Silk Road 1600 years ago. kimono is considered to be of high quality. With the introduction of Buddhism carne the import of Focusing on one design element in this artic1e- embroidery-we will look at the technical side and a bit of religious images, many embroidered. Typical Japanese history and general appreciation. As welI as traditional embroidery developed from China's Sui and Tang dynasty embroidery we also find sashiko, which is stitching rather embroidery. Fragments of Japanese embroidery exist that than embroidery. Sashiko is found on more day-to-day date back to 622, the 30th year of Empress Suiko's reign. textiles. To round out the embroidery picture, a short The ShOsoin (built in 756) collection of textiles has pieces paragraph on sashiko is appended. which were embroidered using untwisted thread Traditional Japanese embroidery has many followers, embroidered in the sashi-nui style (long and short stitches). in- and outside Japan. Nihon ShishU,the name for traditional During the Kamakura period (1185-1333) interest in Japanese embroidery, is studied and valued alI over the embroidery increased, as it was used by commoners for world. Nihon Shishíi is used on kimono and on all kinds of religious images. Spring 2005 32 Embroidery for a long time was a most popular way to decorate garments, apart from the woven designs already used. It was particularly popular during the Muromachi era (1392- 1568), when simple embroidery techniques were used to decorate cloth. Bugaku (a classic dance form) costumes survive from this period showing elaborate embroidery mostly done in watashi-nui (float stitch with no running thread on the reverse side of the cloth). During the Momoyama era (1568-1600), embroidery covered garments completely, a style still seen in current Nó costumes. AIso surihaku (use of metallic leaf on cloth) carne into fashion. It also featured embroidery using relatively large motifs, using long parallel stitches, known as ura-nuki. fig. 2'Hakoseko (hand-embroidered purse that is tucked between obi and kimono), Showa period (1950s) Until the Meiji era (1868-1912), embroidery in Japan was known as nui, In the 19th c., many techniques which literally means 'sewing'. The were used, and from ca. 1850 word shishU carne into fashion when embroidery was combined with other Westem embroidery skills carne in. The techniques, e.g. on katabira kosode. Japanese style was from then on known Kosode was the term used for kimono as Nihon Shishu. before the late 1800s. The kosode (fig. 5) is the predecessor of the current Edo era embroidery kimono, and developed from the The Edo period (1600-1868) saw underkimono of earlier times. A many different attitudes towards katabira is an unlined summer kosode, embroidery. Under the feudal system, a which used stencilled designs with distinct division of classes (and embroidered accents including kin clothing) was established, which koma (couching metallic thread). resulted, amongst other things, in a In the Meiji era (1868-1912) 1683 ban by the Shógun on the wearing fig. 3 Mon (crest) of contemporary subdued designs were favoured. of luxuriously embroidered kimono by furisode (long-sleeved kimono) Touches of embroidery were used to the lower classes. accent and highlight objects within During the Keichó (1596-1615) simple scenery (fig. 7). and Kan'ei (1624-1644) periods, From 1850-1915, uchikake preferences changed to minute designs (house coats, used as over-garment and with short sparse stitches, e.g. to create later as wedding kimono) were often tiny landscapes of flowers and autumn wholly embroidered with auspicious grasses. designs. During the Manji (1658-1661) The Taishó era (1912-1926) saw and Kanbun (1661-1673) eras, the return of heavier designs, mostly embroidery became more dense and combined with yuzen and hand- precise with increasingly realistic painting. Machine embroidery allowed detail, foreshadowing the later mature for heavier designs and compacter Edo periodo embroidery. The Kyóhó era (1716-1736) saw Currently many painted designs increased use of embroidery as the sole are highlighted with embroidery fig. 4 Mon of kabuki kimono especially on more formal kimono like means of decoration. In that period su- for female part, ShOwa period (1970s) nui developed, based on ink drawing. It This crest has been embroidered on a tomesode (the most formal kimono for was characterised by fine lines, limited separate piece of silk before attaching it to married women, with crests at the colour range and monochrome ground. the kimono. back, front and shoulders and designs Spring 33 fig. 5b Detail of fig. 5 like asymmetric composition and more haku, metallic leaf. During the Muromachi period (1392-1568) through the 1st decade of the 17th century, a special type of design flourished-tsujigahana. It combined shibori (Japanese tie- dyeing), kaki-e (painting), surihaku (metallic leaf) and nui (embroidery). In surihaku, metallic leaf was fig.5 Hand-embroideredkosodekimono,Edo era (1850s) applied to painted sections within the on the lower half of the garment. Kuro design but this was largely replaced by or black-tomesode are very formallike kin-koma by the Kanbun era (1661- Western black-dresses while ira or 1673). coloured tomesode indicate the base garment colour (figs. 6, 8 & 11). Heavy embroidered designs are found on wedding furisode (long sleeved, most formal kimono for unmarried young women) and uchikake. Gold and silver leaf and thread Gold leaf and the preceding gold thread has been used for centuries. Initially it was applied directly to the c1oth. Over the years distinctive styles of applying metal leaf, and later on metal thread, were developed. One of the styles that emerged is nuihaku-lit. sewing and metallic leaf. The kosode was decorated with embroidery and applied metallic leaf, initially for high society women, now used for No robes which are known by the same name. This style employed symmetry and repetition to copy the design style of woven materials of the fig. 6 lro-tomesode (detail), late 16th c. and replaced it. Meiji period (1910s) During the Edo period nuihaku Single embroidery stitches highlight cones fig. 5a Sleeves of fig. 5 used a wider variety of design elements of pine branches. Spring 2005 34 fig. 7 Detail of 1900sfurisode fig. 8 Detail of iro-tomesode, Taishó period Single yelIow embroidery thread accentuates a pine needle Hand-embroidered detail on flower design group. Modern wedding kimono ha ve added gold or silver with a new style of surihaku and kin-koma (fig. 12). Appliqué in combination with kin-koma is also found (fig. 10). Beni Yfizen dyeing, paste resist dyeing with dye applied using a brush, developed in the late 1600s-early 1700s, becoming the favoured way of decorating kimono, but embroidery was still not forgotten. The colour beni, a pinky red made from safflower petals, was the favourite Edo era colour: warm and luminous with yellow undertones, and gold was embroidered on yfizen dyed garments to fig. 9 Detail of han-eri (hand- fig. 11 Detail of iro-tomesode, Taishó era compensate for the yfizen red, which was embroidered collar cover), Hand-embroidered highlights on too cold, too clear with blue undertones, Meiji period chrysanthemum petals and did not match sensitive Edo era tastes. fig. 10 Detail of uchikake sleeve, fig.12Detail of uchikake, 19908 kin-koma and appliqué Sample of modero surihaku and kin-koma and metallic thread embroidery Spring 35 fig. 13 Machine-embroidered uchikake, fig. 14 Machine-embroidered uchikake, late ShOwa period (1980s) Showa period (1960s) Introduction to West After having been refined and perfected over so many centuries, traditional Japanese embroidery has become a style in its own right. Themes from earlier periods of Japanese history and colour schemes all have their own special meanings. With kimono, as with other elements in Japanese life, designs and colours are chosen to fit the season and wearer's age. Designs usualIy fig. 15 Detail of kabuki kimono for male role, Showa period (1980s) symbolize traditional themes, legends and scenes from classical Japanese Japan. Now it shines as a paramount is headed by Tamura Shfiji. literature, like The Talesof Genji. achievement in the world of textile arto The JEC is a non-profit Until 1980, when Nihon Shishfi educational organisation which aims to pieces were exhibited at the national Kurenai-kai preserve and promote the cultural seminar of the Embroiderers' Guild of The Japanese Embroidery Center heritage of Japanese embroidery by America, lnc. in DalIas, Texas, its (lEC), Kurenai-kai, was founded in pursuing Nui-d6, the Way of embroidery was hardly known outside 1989 at Dunwoody Georgia, USA and Embroidery.