In April of this year, I had the chance to check out the 470th anniversary exhibition of Senjiriya Jihei Co., Ltd. (Senji for short), a long-established manufacturer of Kyoto Yuzen textiles.
Originally, the founder, Nishimura Yozaemon Sadayoshi ( 1533-1604 ), made brocade robes as his wife's family was in the textile business. The family name "Chigiriya" comes from the fact that they made and donated a stand for Thousand Cut Flowers every year to be offered by the monks of Kofuku-ji Temple during the Wakamiya Festival at Kasuga Shrine. The family name was chosen as "Chigiriya" and the crest was a mountain-shaped arrangement of three squares seen from above on a Thousand Cut Flower stand.
This crest was also given to the branch and separate Chigiriya family by the main family, and Chigiriya Jihei has inherited this crest to this day.
Nowadays, there are very few Kyo-Yuzen makers left, but Senji still produces traditional Kyo-Yuzen. Not only gorgeous and elegant works, but also elegant and beautiful Yuzen are the expression of Senji's sensibility and technique that have been passed down for a long time.
Among them, Senji's hand-painted yuzen textiles are completed through a production process spanning 18 steps by highly skilled artisans .
Sketch
A thin layer of blue liquid from daylily flowers is applied to the white fabric.
Atari is the process of drawing a rough design on the fabric and then drawing only the outline so as to maintain the balance of the entire kimono. Once that is done, the next step is to use a thick green juice to accurately draw the main body of the pattern and other fine details.
Rubber Thread
Rubber cement is placed along the outline (design) to prevent the dye from bleeding onto other areas during the yuzen process.
Persimmon tannin is applied to Japanese paper, which is then placed inside a hardened tube, and the paper is squeezed out and placed along the design.
Fushigori
The process of applying glue is necessary to prevent the color from bleeding into the pattern when dyeing the base color of the fabric.
After surrounding the area with thread paste, the paste is evenly placed on the area to be dyed with the Sashi-Yuzen method, and then ground powder is sprinkled on top. This acts as a dye-resistant layer to prevent the pattern from being dyed when the dyeing process is carried out.
dyeing
Hikizome, also known as jisome, is a method of dyeing fabric by applying the dye evenly or in a blended manner using a brush.
Hikizome dyeing often involves dyeing the entire fabric, which is the largest area dyed, so it can be said to be one of the most important processes in Kyo Tegaki Yuzen.
Steamed and water-based
The fabric is then steamed to ensure that the dye from the Yuzen dye and the dyed fabric is firmly attached to the fabric and to promote full color development. The fabric selvedge is hung on pins attached to the steaming frame, and paper is placed between the fabric to prevent color transfer when the fabric overlaps. The fabric is then placed in a steaming box and steamed at about 100°C for 20 to 50 minutes.
The Mizumoto process is carried out to completely wash away any excess dye, chemicals or starch remaining on the fabric. Even the smallest impurities remaining on the fabric can lead to a deterioration in the quality of the fabric, so the fabric is washed until it is completely clean.
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Hand-inserted Yuzen
Using brushes and paintbrushes, the design is dyed with dyes.
The fabric is dyed in succession from light to dark colors, but depending on how the brush or paintbrush is used, it is also possible to create a gradated pattern.
Of all the processes, this is the one that requires the most sense of color and creativity, and where the individuality of the Yuzen craftsman can be expressed.
Steaming Washing Water source
The steaming process is repeated to fix the dye solution.
Once steaming is finished, the fabric is rinsed with copious amounts of water to remove any excess dye, chemicals, or starch remaining on it.
Gold color
This is a technique in which gold leaf is glued onto dyed fabric.
It is integrated with Kyoto hand-drawn Yuzen to embody a harmonious and gorgeous look.
Hand embroidery
Using silk, gold and silver threads, a technique called "Kyoto stitching" is used to give the finished product beautiful color and luxury.
Finished product
It takes so many difficult steps to make enough fabric for one kimono, and most of the process is done by hand by craftsmen.
Chigiriya Jihei still makes them this way today.
It would be wonderful if we could preserve this traditional Japanese beauty and artisanal techniques for future generations.
I would love to wear one of Senji's kimonos someday.