Through
my activities at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, I was invited to
host Japanese quilter, Tomie Nagano, for part of her stay in Toowoomba,
January 2003. When Tomie learned that I would be stopping in Kyoto, she
and her husband Fugio decided to fly down from the north island of Hokkaido
to spend several days with me. Tomie had spent several years visiting
the markets searching for fabric for her quilting and knew just where
to take me. We first visited the famous Toji Temple where the monthly
antique textile market was being held. Silk kimonos of various handcrafted
techniques were sold for very reasonable prices. Food stalls with colourful
wares were tempting, but shopping and sightseeing were the priorities.
In the background,
the temple tower was a powerful structure, dominating the landscape.
And
on we went to another Antique market at a convention centre, tempted by
a vast array of vintage textiles, created by traditional methods requiring
great skill.
I found kimonos of many styles and design techniques. I bought a short
silk kimono jacket decorated with Kanoko shibori, a favorite Kyoto tie-dye
style. It is created by tying small circles with fine thread to create
patterns and shapes. The lining was decorated with a different shibori
technique creating waves of delicate colour. On the back, the family crest
was created with these small circles. To learn more about the technique
go forward to Shibori »