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Obi jime

Japanese

Artwork Details

Obi jime
20th century
Japanese
fabric
1/2 in x 58 in (1.27 cm x 147.32 cm)
Gift of Howard and Patricia Yamaguchi
2013/2.452

Description

Subject Matter:

This is  a Kumihimo Obi Jime made by INOUE Saga Nishiki (a company specializing in Sage Nishiki).

Saga Nishiki is a hand-loomed traditional fabric which is elaborately woven from shredded Japanese paper coated with gold, silver and lacquer as warp and dyed silk thread as weft.

Obi jime are cords tied on the outside of the obi. Since they are visible, they come in a variety of colors and styles. Obi jime comes in roughly 2  types: One is called “Maru Guke” for formal attire which contains cotton inside covered by cloth.  Another is a braid called “Kumihimo” for casual to formal attire.  “Kumihimo” is the name of a type of Japanese braiding, meaning a gathering of thread, mostly in a flat form.  This form employs different braiding blocks such as “Kakudai”(square block), “Marudai”(round block) and “Takadai” (high block), creating varieties of Kumihimo Obi jime.

Physical Description:

Off-white with black, peach and brown cross-hatched pattern.

Usage Rights:

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