Sue Sarasa Museum

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Daruma Pilgrims Gallery

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Sue Sarasa Museum of Art 寿恵更紗ミュージアム

京都府向日市 Kyoto, Muko-shi
Terado-Cho, Terayama 12-1
Tel. 075-934-6395
Founded by Aoki Sue 青木寿恵


sarasa サラサ calico, chintz, printed cotton
also a kind of batik
Originally from India, the stencil-dying method (katazome) was later imported to Japan during the Edo-Period. Mineral pigments are applied to homespun cotton, using various stencils.
Sarasa was produced mainly in Sakai, Kyoto and Nagasaki.

. . . CLICK here for Japanese sarasa Photos !


. . . CLICK here for international sarasa Photos !


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Exhibition with nature motives from Canada
October 10 till November 18, 2009

Aoki san had been to Canada in 1979 and sketched much of the landscape and other motives there.

The exhibition includes Kimono, tapestries, obi, door curtains and other items.


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Textiles from sarasa were also called
watarai わたらい【度会】
The material was also used to make small items, like bags and cloth for the tea ceremony.



chirimen 縮緬　(ちりめん) crepe silk from China
Used as material for expensive kimono.

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Edo Sarasa 江戸更紗 Printed Silk Calico

■ Traditional Technologies and Techniques
1- 型紙 - Handmade Japanese paper )tesukewashi 手漉和紙) is treated with a preparation of persimmon juice and matched with a backing paper in order to become stencil paper; designs are carved using separate but similar backing paper (These are then overlaid the stencil paper for stenciling).
2- 型摺り染め - Stencil dyeing is done by hand.
3- 地染め - A brush dyeing technique called hikizome 引き染め is used to dye textiles completely with their base colors.
4- 捺染糊 Natsusennori (a paste mixture) comprised of glutinous rice flour, rice bran and salt, etc., is also used. This is a dye-proof preparation. Areas of textiles treated with this paste will remain their original color when dyed.



■ Traditionally Used Raw Materials
Cotton textiles, Silk textiles - 綿織物、絹織物

■ History and Characteristics
Sarasa 更紗 originated more than 3,000 years ago in India. The techniques involved in its production are said to have spread west to Europe and east to China. They were introduced to Thailand and Indonesia, subsequently crossing the seas to arrive in Japan.

“Sarasa” is a common terminology used throughout the world.

It is said that Sarasa arrived in Japan during the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), with products from India and Europe being brought by foreign merchant vessels from Portugal, Spain and Holland. The Japanese referred to these ships as Nanbansen 南蛮船 and Komosen 紅毛船.

The bulk of clothing in Japan at the time was made from silk or hemp; people were both surprised and pleased with the qualities of cotton, it being a textile they had previously known nothing about.

The attraction of Sarasa is the colorful patterns that can be created by dyeing it in five different tones (dark reds, indigo blues, greens, yellows and browns).
五彩 -（臙脂（えんじ）、藍、緑、黄、茶）

In that the exoticism of such countries differs from the Japanese traditions associated with homegrown textiles such as those produced using some-komon 染め小紋 (fine-patterned dyeing) and yuzen 友禅 (painted dyeing) techniques, people may have a somewhat exotic image of Sarasa that reflects the natural traits of its origin countries.

It is said that Edo Sarasa was born in the second half of the Edo Period. The water of Tokyo, including that of the Kanda River, is considered to be a relatively “hard water” (with a high mineral content). Thus, the iron content present in the water produces ongoing chemical reactions until dyeing processes are completed. The outcome of this is a tendency towards sober hues being produced.

It is through this that the austere elegance unique to Edo Sarasa is created, and the colors realized tend to offer a sense of wabi-sabi (a sense of “simplicity and refinement”).

Presently, only Tokyo boasts a reasonable population of Sarasa producers.

Tokyo Order-Made Dyeing Association
- source : www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.jp


. Traditional Crafts of Tokyo and Edo .




source : www.mfa.org/collections

Kappa in a Shop of Stencil-dyed Goods, from the series Collection of Equipment of Merchants (Akinai dôgu shû no uchi)
「商内道具集之内（あきないどうぐしうのうち）」
「御合羽品々」　（合羽品の店に河童）

by Issunshi Hanasato ga 一寸子花里画

There is an implied pun on kappa “river monster” and kappa “stencil.”

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Cotton (wata) kigo for haiku

Kimono, traditional Japanese robes

light cotton robes, yukata 浴衣 ゆかた


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- - - kigo with SARASA さらさ　

Sarasa boke 更紗木瓜 Sarasa quince

Sarasa mokuren (更紗木蓮) Sarasa Magnolia

Sarasa yanma 更紗やんま Sarasa yanma, dragonfly


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- #sarasa #chintz #chinz -
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