Light blue crested kimono with woven hexagonal pattern, enhanced by painted and gilded designs and appliquéd Saga brocade.

Description

Although the majority of Japanese brocade—a rich fabric with a raised design, woven with gold and silver threads—is produced in the Nishijin district of Kyoto, certain brocades are made in former castle towns like Saga and Kaga. Saga brocade, still renowned today, originated as a textile art practiced as a pastime in the Edo period (1615–1868) by the ladies-in-waiting of the ruling Nabeshima clan of the Kashima domain (modern-day Saga prefecture in the southwestern island of Kyûshû). It is hand produced on a small, lap-sized table, using thin gold, silver, and platinum papers for the warp, and colorful silk threads for the weft. Because of the delicate, painstaking nature of the process, only a tiny amount can be woven in one day. Saga brocade, therefore, is usually restricted to appliqués, as in these examples.
(Wrapped in Silk & Gold Exhibition, Summer 2010)
Gallery Rotation Spring/Summer 2012
Kimono
Japan, Showa period (1926–1989)
circa 1970–1979
Silk crepe with painted, gilt, and embroidered designs
Gift of Howard and Patricia Yamaguchi, 2005/1.391
Although the majority of Japanese brocade—a rich fabric with a raised design, woven with gold and silver threads—is produced in the Nishijin district of Kyoto, certain types are made in former castle towns like Saga and Kaga. Saga brocade, still renowned today, originated as a textile art practiced as a pastime in the Edo period (1615–1868) by the ladies-in-waiting of the ruling Nabeshima clan of the Kashima domain (modern-day Saga prefecture in the southwestern island of Kyûshû). Saga brocade is produced by hand on a small, lap-sized table, using thin gold, silver, and platinum papers for the warp, and colorful silk threads for the weft. Because of the delicate, painstaking nature of the process, only a tiny amount can be woven in one day. Therefore Saga brocade is usually restricted to small pieces of appliqué, as in these examples.