Loom for Yuzen velvet

It took the Japanese people a long time before they could understand the technique of weaving velvet, which involves cutting the loops in a pile weave structure. This made it a very rare and valuable fabric. Japan started to produce velvet at the end of the Edo period. It is said that the technique was discovered when a bamboo stick (or a wire according to another theory) was found left inside a row of uncut loops (wana). Between the Meiji and Taisho periods, the demand for velvet to use not only for clothing, but also for high-quality interior decoration expanded both domestically and internationally, stimulating production.