No 132


Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.132.These two days we attended two auctions in Kyoto. Recently at most kimono auctions antique kimono and fabrics are rare, but yesterday's auction offers only antique items. Almost all major antique kimono dealers attend, and tactics full of wiles and tricks are done on the every fabrics and kimono. Approx 15 members sit around a kimono, and they say jokes and comments about every offered items. They are all our seniors, and all of them look as 'tanuki'(raccoon dog). In Japan tanuki is considered to deceive human. If a kimono some members really want, they say and do something to try to reduce the other members' bidding prices. Most ordinary technique is 'hai-wo-maku'(scatter ashes), which means 'point out the defects around.' Members point out stains and tears ( or sometimes the chemical dyestuff, which tell us its age ) also by kindness, but a member point out most loudly often bids highest price and win.I also try to scatter good ashes, but often I am said, 'Wada-kun is scattering ashes now!'I seem to be too honest and awkward to scatter ashes with sophisticated wa as other senior members do.
By the way there are some clues to know the age of textile and kimono. Difference of dyestuff - chemical or natural, is one of the important points. Before Edo period ( before 1867 ) all dyestuffs were from plants. In Meiji period(1868-1912) chemical dyestuffs were imported, dyers became to be able to dye with vivid colors. Chemical ai ( chemical indigo ) was also imported in Meiji period, and dyeing with natural dyestuff was missing. Colors dyed with natural dyestuffs are soft and delicate, and mixing the dyestuffs makes more sophisticated colors. Also today dyeing with natural dyestuff 'Kusaki Zome'( plant dyeing ) are done, by the dyers who want to get more 'natural colors'. But philatelists of antique dyeing say there are difference between antique natural dyeing and modern Kusaki Zome.
As next artisan of 'Tour J Artisan', we will visit a famous dyer 'Yasuhiro Takahashi' this week end. He is philatelist of antique dyeing, and he is trying to restore antique dyeing with studying antique documents. He dyes with same techniques and materials as antique documents, and come to know the difference from the modern natural dyeing. I got to know him more than 10 years ago, when I was a sales promotion manager in a department store. He was a very calm person, and his fingers and nails were stained with dyestuffs. He said he was 'some-shokunin' - dyeing artisan. His works - kosode dyed with antique technique was supreme, but it took long time for us to reach and be able to recognize his work level. For our 'Tour J Artisan', we were looking for a dyer, who dyes scarves with natural ai and other traditional natural dyeing works. And at a sudden I remind him, and looked for his name card and called him. He said he was making scarves now, and could dye with other natural(and really traditional) dyeing technique for our customers.We are very very happy to introduce his scarves and his works, and his knowledge about antique dyeing technique. What a wonderful thing we can offer you scarves which are dyed with genuine-antique-kimono technique and dyestuffs!
Bizen ware offering week ends. We will keep several items in our stocks, and send back the rest. Thank you very much for some orders to Wakimoto san's fantastic works.
Today we will list furisode, kimono, yukata, antique items and bolts. We are very happy if you could check them. Have a wonderful Sunday! Ichiro & Yuka WadaKimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.comaddress: Asia-shoji Bldg.301 1841-1 Nishi 1 chome Wakamatsu cho Tondabayashi city Osaka 584-0025 JAPANTEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446