Yūki-tsumugi: Behind Japan's Hand-Spun Silk
The silk threads of Yūki, Japan begin their journey long before reaching the loom. Artisans hand-spin each thread from silk floss, moistening their fingertips with saliva as they draw out the fiber — a technique unchanged for centuries. The threads are then bound and resist-dyed, shibori-style, to create kasuri patterns that remain invisible until the threads meet on the loom. Only during the weaving process does the intended pattern emerge. Yūki's weavers work on a jibata, a backstrap loom fastened to the weaver's own body, joining artisan and machine into a single instrument. The resulting silk bolts, known as Yūki-tsumugi, are among the most expensive and sought-after textiles for kimono-making in Japan — and are recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Basho-fu and Basho-shi: Textiles from the Okinawan Banana Plant
The art of transforming Okinawan banana fiber into basho-fu — a delicate cloth that softens in humid climates and stiffens and darkens in dry ones — was nearly lost in the twentieth century. Taira Toshiko, designated a Living National Treasure of Japan, played a central role in restoring basho-fu techniques and passing them to the next generation. Today, a more experimental generation of craftspeople is developing new uses for basho-shi, a naturally dyed, textured paper made from the same banana plant fibers. Like washi paper, basho-shi possesses a translucent quality, making it ideal for window treatments and lighting.
Yūki-tsumugi: Behind Japan's Hand-Spun Silk
The silk threads of Yūki, Japan begin their journey long before reaching the loom. Artisans hand-spin each thread from silk floss, moistening their fingertips with saliva as they draw out the fiber — a technique unchanged for centuries. The threads are then bound and resist-dyed, shibori-style, to create kasuri patterns that remain invisible until the threads meet on the loom. Only during the weaving process does the intended pattern emerge. Yūki's weavers work on a jibata, a backstrap loom fastened to the weaver's own body, joining artisan and machine into a single instrument. The resulting silk bolts, known as Yūki-tsumugi, are among the most expensive and sought-after textiles for kimono-making in Japan — and are recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Basho-fu and Basho-shi: Textiles from the Okinawan Banana Plant
The art of transforming Okinawan banana fiber into basho-fu — a delicate cloth that softens in humid climates and stiffens and darkens in dry ones — was nearly lost in the twentieth century. Taira Toshiko, designated a Living National Treasure of Japan, played a central role in restoring basho-fu techniques and passing them to the next generation. Today, a more experimental generation of craftspeople is developing new uses for basho-shi, a naturally dyed, textured paper made from the same banana plant fibers. Like washi paper, basho-shi possesses a translucent quality, making it ideal for window treatments and lighting.
