Decorative Techniques in Textiles

Yuzen Resist Dyeing

With a dyeing strategy invented in 17th century Kyoto, a mixture of rice paste and soybeans has been utilized to draw delicate free-hand linear motifs on white silk. An artist squeezes the paste through a funnel-shaped container similar to a tiny pastry bag (below remaining). Following this paste resist dries, he paints areas on both sides of outlines with brushes, with the desired dye colors. Delicate shaded effects is produced, and the rice paste outlines avoid the dye from seeping into surrounding places. Even wide expanses regarding the back ground color tend to be colored this way - manually artwork. More characteristic features of kimono ornamentation built in in this way tend to be delicate color gradations and thin, streaming light lines that overview the themes.

Yuzen dyeing. Attracting rice paste lines at left; artwork in dyes above. Norio Yamanaka, The Book of Kimono, Tokyo, 1982.

For areas of broad, regular repeats, designers may apply their rice paste through complex stencils with squeegees. After that after the paste features dried, they use their colored dyes with brushes. When all the artwork is completed, the worker steams the kimono silk to set the dyes, and washes from rice paste. Because of the time included in addition to art needed, yuzen dyed kimono have always commanded large rates. They certainly were frequently commissioned by special clients.

Katazome

These fabrics are produced with stencils. Rice paste is pressed through the elaborately cut, heavy, oiled stencils onto the textile; then after drying, the materials tend to be immersed in dye pots. This procedure has frequently been used with indigo-blue on cotton fiber for summertime yukata kimono or for futon covers. Occasionally wax has been used as an alternative, such as batiks made in other places.

Surihaku

Often, with coloured dyes, gold or gold metallic foil is placed on the fabric area, generating magnificent results. Rice paste is very first applied to the textile in design areas - either attracted easily (as during the right), or stenciled (as below). Then metallic leaf is pushed onto the partially dried out rice paste. The foil drops away in surrounding places. Previously, surihaku design ended up being widely used on remarkable Noh theatrical costumes, and its usage carried on on magnificent formal kimono and ceremonial uchikake wedding kimono

Shibori

These textiles are tie-dyed. Most often, areas tend to be designed by firmly wrapping tiny parts of the light-weight white silk with thread. As soon as the material is colored, the wrapped places continue to be white, developing a pleasing, slightly irregular perform structure of tiny sectors. An entire area covered in this manner is known as kanoko shibori. The fabric is permitted to keep its characteristic puckered surface. Shibori practices can be produced by clamping, sewing or folding the materials in various techniques to create unusual patterning.

Sumi e Painting

Free-hand painting with indelible inks and brushes can also be a period- recognized Japanese method of textile decoration. It appears on kimonos, but a lot more usually in the pictorial linings of males's short black haori coats.

Kasuri (Ikat)

These ikat textiles are formulated by selectively binding and dyeing areas of the warp or weft threads, and sometimes even both, prior to the textile is woven. It really is an arduous and exacting procedure. For either silk or cotton fabrics, the threads are extended on a-frame (below), chosen design places are bound, then the hanks of bound threads are immersed when you look at the dye pots.

Kasuri weft threads on a warping mill. Jun and Noriko Tomita, Japanese Ikat Weaving, London, 1982.

For warp ikats (as shown below), it is the warp threads being bound and colored. The textile is woven with simple wefts, as all patterning is within the warps. The unusual, feathery design outlines are a characteristic feature, where in fact the dye seeps beneath the bindings slightly. On the other hand, vertical structure outlines are sharp and smooth.

For weft kasuri, more juggling is possible. Oahu is the wefts which can be bound selectively and dyed, therefore the weaver has actually slightly freedom in positioning the colored pattern places precisely through the weaving process. This is why rather complex themes possible. It presumes, but the bindings were through with much care and precision. Fabric ornamentation with elaborate weft-ikat motifs is known as "picture kasuri, " or e-gasuri. Occasionally the warps are printed or painted prior to the last weaving procedure. The textile below appears to combine methods.

For meisen ikat, both warp and weft are bound and dyed, as in the indigo-dyed cotton yukata below. Distinctive effects are manufactured by incorporating or crossing the resisted areas.

For detailed explanations of those procedures, i will suggest Jun and Noriko Tomita's, Japanese Ikat Weaving, London, 1982

Figured Weaves