Time travelling through the tradition of Nishijin textiles
In the famous weaving district of Nishijin, Kyoto’s textile artisans have been able to preserve their precious know-how over the centuries, passing them on through generations of skillfully trained makers. From their early development 1200 years ago, until today, the ‘Nishijin-ori’ have been considered among the most gorgeous of all Japanese textiles. They are well-known for their highly decorative patterns and their finely woven designs and featuring lamé threads. But their high production cost and fewer people wearing the traditional costume has caused a lot of these businesses to disappear.
Some of the remaining craftsmen have developed an interesting range of contemporary Nishijin-ori designs. These fabrics are woven with techniques that are faithful to tradition, and they feature classical motifs which allow us to time travel to different periods of history.
To me, they appear as textile postcards of beautiful Kyoto city, patiently waiting for her visitors to come back.
Here is a very limited series of Mikan bags featuring the contemporary treasures of Nishijin.
