Last night, sitting in front of some trash TV, I was carefully taking apart a gorgeous Taisho period (1912 - 1926) Meisen Silk (ikat) kimono. The main colour was a rich, deep purple with a floral crest and geometric pattern woven in lighter colours. It has a beautiful crisp old silk feel to the touch and as I gently removed the hand stitching I tried to imagine who it had belonged to and what occasions it had seen.
And then I came to the lining...
Inside the kimono was this vibrant teal fabric, what feels like a silk-wool blend, quite raw, I suspect it was older that the outer kimono fabric. At some point a little bug had taken a liking to the lining fabric and had munched through areas.
Rather than just throw the fabric out it had been patched up by what appears to be scraps on hand, pieces with bright red flowers and green leaves. But what got me is the stitching, neat little rows of sashiko stitching in the boro tradition of mending old textiles.
At the time, this would have been hidden away, maybe for the embarrassment of not being able to afford new lining, or maybe not. There is also a real sense of thriftiness in Japan, so I hope it was appreciated for the resourcefulness and fine handiwork that it really was.
Even some of the patches have been patched...
Round holes have been sewn around before the larger fabric has been stitched into place...
I'm not sure what I'll do with this treasured piece of fabric yet, but I think it's time that the fine handiwork saw some light.
