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Japanese Textiles, Traditional Patterns & Color
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Shimachō (縞帳), 1893

www.instagram.com/p/DUIn_J8Eo6...

Shimachō are sample books used as design references for weaving striped textiles.

They were carefully preserved because they served as valuable resources for weavers.
January 30, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Minogame (蓑亀) Motif in Design

www.instagram.com/p/DTaOz5GjKU...

The Minogame (蓑亀) is a turtle covered with seaweed, a figure that has appeared for centuries in Japanese literature and art.

What appears to be the turtle’s long tail is actually seaweed that has grown over many years.
January 13, 2026 at 10:54 AM
Crane Motif in Design

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In Japan, the crane is an auspicious bird symbolizing longevity and has been depicted in decorative designs since the Heian period.
January 5, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Eggplant(茄子) Motif in Design

www.instagram.com/p/DSuT1mYAeM...

In Japan, the eggplant (茄子/nasu) has long been used as an auspicious motif, symbolizing growth and the positive development of things.
December 26, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Reposted by iroai.jp
Stencil Technique to Create Shibori-Style Patterns

www.instagram.com/p/DPbUDLbD4Y...

Shibori dyeing is a traditional resist-dyeing technique.
To reduce the time and cost required for authentic shibori, artisans developed methods to reproduce shibori-like patterns using stencil dyeing instead.
October 6, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Shrimp (海老) Motif in Design

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The shrimp has long been regarded in Japan as a symbol of longevity and good fortune, and it has frequently appeared as an auspicious motif in textile design.
December 22, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Shiro-gasuri/白絣(White Japanese Ikat)

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Kasuri (絣)—known internationally as Japanese ikat—is a traditional textile technique, and one variation, shiro-gasuri (白絣, white kasuri), features patterns on a white ground rendered in indigo or brown threads.
December 13, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by iroai.jp
iroai.jp/matsu/

In Japan, the pine has long been one of the traditional motifs, expressed as “Matsumon” (pine patterns).
As an auspicious design, it has been used in various forms such as textiles and crafts.
#iroai #paperstencils #paperstencil #isekatagami #kimono #craftsmanship #textile #katazome
September 9, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Ise Katagami (Japanese Paper Stencil)

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Ise katagami(伊勢型紙)is a traditional stencil paper produced mainly in the area around present-day Suzuka City in Mie Prefecture and has long been used for stencil dyeing.
December 7, 2025 at 6:46 PM
San-Kuzushi Pattern

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The San-Kuzushi pattern is a continuous design featuring stripes arranged vertically and horizontally in a stone-paving-like layout.

This pattern was widely used in textiles and was believed to symbolize abundance and rich harvests in japan.
November 26, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Komon:Small Pattern
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“Komon” refers to textiles dyed using stencils to create a repeating pattern of small motifs at regular intervals.

The term komon (“small pattern”) distinguishes from larger motifs, such as daimon (large patterns) and chūgata (medium patterns).
November 18, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Textiles Inspired by Batik and Chintz

www.instagram.com/p/DQ6sWMkjIM...

From the 16th century onward, textiles such as batik and chintz—dyed with intricate and colorful designs—were brought to Japan.

Inspired by these imported fabrics, Japanese artisans later began creating their own versions.
November 11, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Kasuri(Japanese Ikat)

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Kasuri(Japanese Ikat) is a relatively new dyeing and weaving technique in the long history of Japanese textiles.

Kasuri is admired for its softly blurred patterns and gentle tonal variations, created by pre-dyeing the threads before weaving.
November 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Ōshima Tsumugi (大島紬)

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Ōshima Tsumugi is a plain-woven silk textile traditionally produced on Amami Ōshima Island in Japan.

For dyeing the silk threads, a unique method is used: the yarns are first dyed with Yeddo hawthorn, then fixed with iron-rich mud.
October 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Arabesque (Karakusa) Pattern

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The arabesque pattern has been used in Japan since ancient times.

It depicts continuous designs in which plant leaves and flowers are connected with vine-like curves, or sometimes consists solely of repeated vine motifs.
October 26, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Stencil Technique to Create Shibori-Style Patterns

www.instagram.com/p/DQHJEE5gWM...

Shibori dyeing is a traditional resist-dyeing technique.
To reduce the time and cost required for authentic shibori, artisans developed methods to reproduce shibori-like patterns using stencil dyeing instead.
October 22, 2025 at 12:34 PM
The Gourd in Design

www.instagram.com/p/DP8yZj9gel...

The gourd, the fruit of a plant in the cucumber family, has long been used as a practical container for holding water or sake in Japan.

Because of its widening shape toward the bottom, the gourd has been regarded as an auspicious symbol.
October 18, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Kumo Tatewaku (Cloud Rising Pattern) in Design

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The Tatewaku pattern is one of Japan’s classic traditional motifs.

It features pairs of curved lines placed side by side, where each line swells outward in the middle and tapers toward both ends.
October 15, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Swallow Motifs in Design

www.instagram.com/p/DPv6edPDMl...

Designs featuring the swallow have long been used in the decorative arts of East Asia, including Japan and China.

The swallow has been cherished as a bird that heralds the arrival of spring and is regarded as an auspicious symbol.
October 13, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Kuzufu (Textile Woven from Kudzu Fiber)

www.instagram.com/p/DPgfVTfEam...

Kuzufu is a traditional Japanese textile woven from the fibers of kudzu.

Cloth woven from kudzu fibers, called kuzufu, is known for its natural luster, lightness, water resistance, and heat-retaining qualities.
October 7, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Stencil Technique to Create Shibori-Style Patterns

www.instagram.com/p/DPbUDLbD4Y...

Shibori dyeing is a traditional resist-dyeing technique.
To reduce the time and cost required for authentic shibori, artisans developed methods to reproduce shibori-like patterns using stencil dyeing instead.
October 6, 2025 at 9:53 AM
San-Kuzushi Pattern

www.instagram.com/p/DPOcLuSju2...

The San-Kuzushi pattern is a continuous design featuring stripes arranged vertically and horizontally in a stone-paving-like layout.

This pattern was widely used in textiles and was believed to symbolize abundance and rich harvests in japan
October 5, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Katazome Sample Books (Japanese Stencil-Dyeing Sample Books) – Part 3 of 4

www.instagram.com/p/DPWKhc3jxW...

In the Edo period, sample books were created by pasting pieces of stenciled washi (Japanese paper) to serve as references for katazome (stencil-dyeing) designs.
October 4, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Bird Diagonal-Band Motif (Toridasuki)

www.instagram.com/p/DPL3W9GiW4...

In Japanese art, subjects inspired by nature — known as kacho fugetsu (“flowers, birds, wind and moon,” evoking landscapes and the changing seasons) — have long been central themes.
October 2, 2025 at 8:17 AM