Seaking good books for getting started in textiles

[Ishikawa Yoshimasa]

I am looking for good books to study shibori and other japanese textile arts, in addition to good sources for garb documentation for late period. it is my full intention of becoming something of a clothes horse, but only if I can do it right.

I am hoping to start collecting books now as budget will permit, and get some serious research done by spring... by early sumer I want to be experimenting with dyeing and creating historicly accurate prints by the end of summer. (perhaps an ambitious goal, but it is worth trying.)

my biggest problem is not knowing where to start. textile arts where not something I took an interest with in the past partly because most of those around me where more into weaving belts and focusing on italian ren, or some other culture that I as uninterested in. now I find myself finding prints and geometrics on the web that are absolutly stunning, as well as being inspired by some of the garb made by tousando and JML members...

I am not realy interested in the fancy court dress of the heian, but I want my simple hitatare sugata and kataginu kamashimo to be as accurate and stunning as possible.

I would greatly appreciate any info you can give me.

[Saionji Shonagon]

Start looking for artwork from the period of the clothing you are attempting to replicate. The Tokyo National Museum and Kyoto National Museum are both good places to look, particularly for later genre paintings which depict everyday people.

I'm going to post here what I sent you so far as others may find it useful:

Minnich, Helen Benton. Japanese Costume and the Makers of Its Elegant Tradition. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1963.
Notice the date - it's out of print and may be hard to find. She has an irritating tendency to do things like illustrate Kamakura period dress with an Edo period print, but there's some good info in there.

Noma, Seiroku. Japanese Costume and Textile Arts. New York and Tokyo, John Wetherhill, Inc. and Heibonsha, jointly, 19774 (ISBN 0-8348-1026-3). This is a lovely little book that discusses the history of clothing and textiles. Otagiri recently scored a copy and couldn't wait to show it to me at KWCRS. Lots of good photos. Pretty much anything in the Heibonsha Japanese art history series is worth a look - I keep finding volumes at Moe's and currently own five of them.

Stinchecum, Amanda Meyer. Kosode: 16th-19th Century Textiles From The Nomura Collection. New York: Japan Society in association with Kodansha International, 1984 (ISBN 0-913304-18-2).
This one has an EXCELLENT section in the back on weaves, dyes, decorative techniques, etc. Nomura Shojiro, born in the 19th century during the mad Meiji rush to Westernize, collected and preserved a number of kosode from before 1600. Some, in fragmentary form, he mounted on screens to give the illusion of complete garments. It's out of print, but I've seen it on eBay and Amazon.com used. Well worth hunting down.

Check out www.johnmarshall.to/
He does modern designs using traditional katazome techniques. He also sells supplies and has a how-to section.

I believe Otagiri mentioned a book called "Textile Art of Japan." I don't have it. I should probably put it on my Amazon wish list and drop broad hints to my family.

S.

[greeknakos]

And a second thread necromancy in a single day.

Saionji-sensi,

Are these books still considered excellent sources on the materials available for weaving? And has there been new information available since?

Nakos

[Saionji Shonagon]

Nakos-dono,

My apologies, I only JUST saw this now.

Those sources, particularly Noma and Stinchecum, are staples of my personal library. Noma is part of the Heibonsha Survey of Japanese Art and as such is an overview of costume and textiles of about 150 pages.
Stinchecum has very good appendices on dyes, weaves and construction based on the garments preserved in the Nomura collection.

What exactly are you looking for?

[greeknakos]

Saionji-sensi,

Initially I was looking for evidence of more textile fibers than just hemp, silk, and cotton. But Japanese Costumes(Minnich) and Kosode: Nomura Collection and a few books on oddly papermaking has helped in that regard. I'm still waiting for the Noma book to come in.

Now I'm looking into what spinning technology was available in pre-Edo history? And possibly any info on thread sizes if known?

[Saionji Shonagon]

I honestly don't know. However, I'm leaving for Japan in a week and a half and a visit to the Nishijin textile district is on the itinerary. If I turn anything of interest up, I'll post it.

[greeknakos]

Oh that's sounds like fun right now. Thank you for keeping an eye and ear out.

[solveig]

Noble Cousin!

Greetings from Solveig! You forgot to mention ramie.

[greeknakos]

Yes, those books talked about ramie (which I didn't know about before) banana fiber, retting bamboo, kozo, and paper backed gold and silver leaf. My the rabbit hole those books have sent me down.