In 1604 a group of Japanese textile artists settled in the fishing villages of Arimatsu and Narumi in Aichi Prefecture. Using implements they created by hand, they developed a unique way of patterning resist imagery on cloth. Their masterful skills soon became known across Japan and their fabrics were sought out for wearables, home furnishings and many other applications. Join us on this adventure into Japanese resist dyeing or tie dye as we explore the villages of Arimatsu and Narumi along the Tokkaido or Old Road.
Techniques include six styles of hand-knotting (kanoko, miura, and te-kumo variations), stitching (nui-shibori variations), pleating (tesuji, tatsumaki, and other variations), and fold-and-clamp methods (sekka, itajime). In addition, the film covers several techniques for machine-aided shibori and sekka dyeing. A wonderful foundation for understanding traditional Japanese stitch and clamp resist and tie and dye.
Produced by Studio Galli Productions and the Artisan Communities of Narumi and Arimatsu, Japan. Narrated by Yoshiko I. Wada of the World Shibori Network with music by Andrew Galli.