December 12, 2016

MINGEI - Aomori koginzashi embroidery

https://darumasan.blogspot.jp/2005/03/nishijin-weaving.html

. Aomori Folk Art - 青森県  .

kogin-zashi こぎん刺し Koginzashi embroidery



- quote -
The history of Aomori Prefecture's traditional craft, Kogin-zashi embroidery, is the story of hardships faced by peasant women of the prefecture.

Located at the northernmost tip of Japan's main island, nature is abundant in Aomori Prefecture. However, nature became the enemy in the severe winters around Mount Iwaki and the Iwaki River. Moreover, during the Edo Period (1603-1868), peasants in the area were not permitted to wear cotton clothes, so they endured the cold by wearing layers upon layers of linen. In the hope of retaining heat and providing additional strength to their clothes, the women stitched cotton thread into strategic parts of linen garments, inventing an embroidery technique known as Kogin-zashi. Kogin-zashi is carefully hand-embroidered stitch by stitch, and has come to represent the delicate dexterity and strength of Aomori's women.
In the mid-Edo Period,
cotton threads became easier to obtain, and the modest designs of Kogin-zashi gradually started to vary. In the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the class system was abolished and the ban on cotton used was lifted. Cotton thread became even easier to procure, and women from farming families began to compete over the beauty of the designs they could embroider. Over time, Kogin-zashi came to be used not only for working clothes, but for festive attire as well, and became crucial to women's wedding preparations.
Today,
Kogin-zashi has changed in many ways, such as using stencils instead of designs passed down through the generations, and using a wide variety of colors for the design instead of solely relying on indigo and white. However, the traditional techniques are still cherished to this day, with their high quality rigorously maintained. Be sure to enjoy these warm designs, unique to the cold climate of Aomori Prefecture.
- source : japan-brand.jnto.go.jp/crafts -


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sashiko 刺し子 embroidery decorations
Stickerei

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

quote
People often refer to Sashiko embroidery as Japanese embroidery.
And while both terms have the word embroidery in them, as a native of Japan and instructor of traditional Sashiko design, I would like to take the time to explain the distinction between the two.
Sashiko embroidery is a very old and classical form of hand sewing using simple running stitches. The Japanese word Sashiko means "little stabs". Sashiko was born from the necessity of conserving and repairing garments at a time when cloth was not widely available to farmers and fishermen.
Japanese embroidery (nihon shishu in Japanese) is an embroidery technique that goes back more than one thousand years. It uses intricate patterning, silken and golden threads, and traditional symbolic motifs worked on fine silk fabrics. In its early stages, and in contrast to the functional aspect of Sashiko embroidery, Japanese embroidery was reserved for decorating items used during religious ceremonies.
source : Miho Takeuchi





sashiko jacket . . .
winter dreams of a garden
its head in the clouds


Shared by Elaine Andre
Joys of Japan


. Honjo Sashiko 本荘 刺し子 quilted coat with embroydery .
from Honjo, Akita

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