fushimidono_03.jpgMarubeni Gallery
This exhibition features a kosode (short-sleeved kimono) fabric fragment produced during the Momoyama period (1573–1615 CE) in the tsujigahana style —a highly rare artifact belonging to the Marubeni Collection—and a faithful reproduction of the kosode from which it came.
Kosode Fragment with Overlapping Japanese Cypress Leaves, Fans, and Wave Motifs on White Nerinuki Ground.JPGMarubeni Gallery
Furthermore, since the kosode fragment with this sumi (Japanese black ink) inscription is an example of Momoyama-period tsujigahana, similar tsujigahana fragments are displayed to introduce the technique more fully.
Restoring the Fushimi-dono Kosode
The project to create this reproduction was carried out over more than three years, from July 1996 to December 1999, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Marubeni Corporation.
As much as possible, Momoyama techniques were used for all steps of the reproduction process, from raising silkworms to spinning yarns, weaving by hand, steaming the fabric, sketching the design, stitching, binding, dyeing, and finishing.
The kosode’s restoration required research on the techniques thought to have been used during the Momoyama period and their revival.
fushimidono fragment.jpgMarubeni Gallery
The “Order received from Fushimi-dono” kosode fragment
The “Order received from Fushimi-dono” kosode fragment has motifs rendered using the technique now commonly called tsujigahana. Tsujigahana has been called the phantom dyeing technique, because it appeared for such an extraordinarily brief period of time.
It is also regarded as presenting the epitome of textile techniques from the medieval to the early modern periods.In recent years, a scholar has examined in detail changes in how the term “tsujigahana” is used and the state of that technique.
fushimidono_05.jpgMarubeni Gallery
Consequently, it is becoming known that there is a considerable gap between the modern concept of tsujigahana and how that term was actually used when the technique was being employed.
