No71

Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter N0. 71.Today our office is closed for Sunday, and Yuka and I went Osaka Municipal Museum of Art in the morning. Title of the exhibition is 'Commemorating the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan - Arts of East and West from World Expositions - 1855-1900 Paris, Vienna and Chicago -. http://www.tnm.jp/en/servlet/Con?pageId=A01&processId=02&event_id=4In Meiji period ( 1868-1912 ), lots of Japanese crafts were made to be exported. In that era, to gain the foreign currency exporting craft and arts was the main resource. Gold-relief lacquerware, cloisonne, ceramics, inlay were the very popular items, and tsuzure weave or yuzen dyed textile were also included. We have a supreme fukusa from that era, which was made for the exporting.http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2.php?number=66906To introduce those items, goverment participated in the World Expositions in the Western countries, and displayed supreme pieces. Items were especially made for the exhibition in the Western countris, and its decorative arts enthused Western people.We enjoyed the exhibition very much. As I wrote before, I was a buyer of Japanese table ware at department store, and I have seen the best items of lacquerware in Uwajima. But items we saw today were AMAZING! Designs are full of wit, and details are incredibly beautiful. About textile, we were astonished to see the huge tsuzure ori tapestries, which is nearly bigger than a soccer goal.We are really moved by the spirits of craftsmen. I wish I could deal the supreme items like this pieces in future.
In the afternoon, I attended a kimono auction. I got some comparatively new kimono. A few days ago, at a auction in Kyoto, fortunately we got supreme item.It is a supreme Kurume kasuri, which is woven by Mr. Torao Moriyama. He is one of the four 'important intangible cultural heritage technique holder' of Kurume Gasuri, and board chairman of Kurume Gasuri Cooperative Association. He weaves most valuable Kurume kasuri now. When I visited Kurume, I was introduced to him. Here is the photos of him and his bottega. http://www.ichiroya.com/others/kurume/kurumephoto.htmHe is a tall and calm old man, and kindly showed me his bottega and what he was working on now. Nothing can be better that the Kurume kasuri he makes now. It has very fine turtle's shell pattern, which are elaborately hand dyed and hand woven. Please check the incredible details with more photos. http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2.php?number=69417Textile has very very soft touch. It must had taken more than 2 months to be woven. It was not woven by his staff, he tied all threads and dyed with natural ai and woven one weft by one weft by himself.His piece is selling at more than 10000 USD at department store. I found a web store, who is selling his piece at 9000 USD include the tailoring fee. Fortunately bidders at that particular auction seemed not to know the contemporary Kurume Gasuri price, so I got at way less price compared with ordinary price. We don't want to list our price at our site. If you are interested in this piece, please contact us and let us know your price. If the price are above our intended price, we will sell at our price. But we will not be disapponted, if the price won't reach it. We will keep it for our treasure.
Today we have listed vintage fukusa, furisode and unique boy's miyamairi karinui fabric. We are very happy if you could check them.http://www.ichiroya.com/item/search.php?md=1122
Thank you for reading to the end. We wish you a nice autumn 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