Beyond the Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles

by William Jay Rathbun

Startling in their capacity to embody aesthetic and social values, the woven arts from Japan suggest that culture’s long history and rich tradition of producing textiles that can truly be considered an art form. Exquisitely quiet yet graphic communication, the fibers, color, weave, and style of these objects tell us both about their makers and the individuals for whom they were made – his or her place in society, including status, wealth, and associations. This volume is authoritative guide to folk textiles of Japan from the 18th to 20th century based on one of America's most comprehensive collections at the Seattle Art Museum. Illustrated are Ainu textiles, sashiko, kogin and hishizashi, kasuri, shiborizome and koshi patterns, and textiles of Okinawa.

Genres: Art

Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[B. Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a semester long research project about textile trends in the Meiji period (1868-1912.) This will be useful because it contains chapters about sashiko. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed more books/articles don't focus or even discuss Meiji folkloric ways of crafting. There's a ton about tea ceremony and ceramics, of course, but not that much about textiles. This book was a good find (even if it's not exclusively Meiji period.)