Sakiori sodenashi (vest) handwoven of cotton strips recycled from old kimono for weft and asa (hemp) yarn for warp. It has beautiful mixed color of indigo, brown, purple etc. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:48cm, L:73cm

Boro sodenashsi (vest) made of cotton stripes for outside and hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye cotton inside. It has 2 layers indigo cloth with sashiko and 3 layers with stripes parts. The first half of the 20th century from Tohoku district. Shoulder W:36cm, Hem W:53cm, L:69cm

Small rug or zokin made of cotton fragments recycled from old kimono or futonji, which are hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. It has sashiko (quilting) and two to four layers of cloth. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 49cm

A small rug or ashifuki (foot dryer) made of hand-spun cotton and indigo dye shibori pattern, one is sekka shibori (clamp-board dye) and Kumo-shibori. It has two layers of cloth with sashiko. The first half of the 20th century.In good condition except for a stain. 69cm x 46cm

Cotton noragi hanten which is hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. It has cotton kasuri collar cloth which is also vegetable indigo dye and hand-spun. In excellent condition and has thick texture. The first half of the 20th century. W:94cm, L:89cm W of shoulders:61cm

Hanten with sashiko (quilting) which is made in Shonai in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku District, which is made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. It has 2 layers of cloth with sashiko. The collar cloth is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye cotton with stripes. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:88cm, L:75cm

A sashi (obi) made of plain weave silk with katazome design whose motifs are Edo Hikeshi (fireman) such as hanten (jacket) with brigade's marks, matoi (brigade's symbol) etc. Lining is twill weave black silk cloth. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. 31cm x 4m12cm

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) handwoven of strips recycled from old cotton cloth for wefts, and hemp yarn for warps. Sakiori hanten and sodenashi were made mainly in districts along the Japan Sea of the mainland, where they have much snow and cold climate in winter. Piping cloth is indigo dye cotton. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:49cm, L:86cm

Cotton futonji with minimal shibori design whose technique is "Nui-shibori (folded and stitched). It is made in Asamai in Akita prefecture where shibori has been practiced since late 18th century and it was most prosperous in the second half of the 19th century, however it declined rapidly because of the machine spinning and chemical dye developed. The local people are trying to preserve the Asamai shibori technique now. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century...

Futonji with two faces which are made of hand-spun cotton. One is katazome with chrysanthemum motif, dyed with bengala (red iron dioxide) and the other is checks dyed with vegetable indigo. Both sides have mending patches, breaks and holes. The first half of the 20th century. 144cm x 146cm

A fisherman's work wear hand-woven of hemp for both wefts and warps. Both natural color and indigo stripes are hemp yarn, which are hand plied. It is from Tsushima in Nagasaki prefecture, an island located between Korean Peninsula and north Kyushu, and the textile is called Tsushima-asa. It had been woven till 1930s, but haven't been woven since then, so it is precious, especially in this excellent condition one. The first half of the 20th century, 110cm x 116cm

SASHIKO DUSTCLOTH WITH CRANE DESIGN

Unused dustcloth of recycled handspun cotton fabric with ‘sashiko’ (ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko) once originally used for cloth (kimono) or bedclothes for celebration (because of its auspicious design of cranes). Early 20th century, Japan...

Hanten work wear (noragi( made of hemp, both warps and wefts are hand-plied. Sleeves are tsutsusode (tubular shape). In excellent condition except for a mending (5mm) The first half of the 20th century. 120cm x 61cm

Woman's juban (under kimono) made of recycled cloth such as hand-spun cotton with Hinode shibori, which is vegetable indigo dye for the lower part, and cotton with katazome, for the top part. The first half of the 20th century. In excellent condition except for a few light stains in the white cotton lining. 124cm x 126cm

Juban (under kimono) made of hand-spun cotton with shibori design, dyed with vegetable indigo. The shibori technique of the top part is Te-Kumo Shibori (Hand-bound Spiderweb) and the lower part is Kanoko shibori (Bound Dots) and Boshi shibori (Capped Motifs) with mum design, which is dyed in Akita prefecture. Cotton cloth inside is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. In good condition except for mending in the back (the last image). The first half of the 20th century. 121cm x 130cm

Saiho-hinagata (or hinagata), the sewing sample which is a miniature sample to learn sewing. It was invented by an educator for saving time and textile using a special measuring rod. It was practiced in a girl's school from Meiji 7, 1874). Reduced scales were one-third in the beginning and one-quarter, one-half, one-fifth etc. The sewing technique was exactly same as the real size in details. Saiho-hinagata was designated as a significant tangible folk cultural asset...

Makanai which is a kimono worn at home after work in the Nanbu region, where is the east part of Aomori prefecture. It is made of hemp cloth whose wefts and warps are hand-plied and lightly vegetable indigo dyed. The lining is machine-spun cotton. It has very fine sashiko with indigo dye cotton yarn. In good condition but has light stains in front as well as in the back. The last image is from the book "Michinoku-no-Kohu-no-Sekai" by Tanaka Chuzaburo. The first half of the 20th century...

Tsugaru kogin kimono made of vegetable indigo dye hemp whose warps and wefts are hand plied. It is made in Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture in Tohoku district. Kogin-sashi is one kind of needlework (sashiko), stitches with white cotton yarn go horizontally and make geometrical patterns. It makes the hemp kimono warm with thick kogin in the cold district like Aomori, where it is hard to cultivate cotton. It has thin indigo dye cotton lining and sashiko in the lower body too...