Tsumugi (cloth)

Tsumugi (紬) is a traditional slub silk cloth from Japan, though similar textiles are found in other countries. It is a tabby weave made from waste silk, which is in shorter lengths. The short threads are degummed[1] and, traditionally, hand-joined to form a continuous strand before weaving,[2] a technique also used for cheaper bast fibers. Threads are joined by twisting the ends to be joined in the same direction, then twisting the bundle of both in the other, to make a two-ply thread at the overlap.[3]

Between 1910 to 1925 (late Taishō to Shōwa era), it became possible to spin and weave tsumugi by machine.[4] Prices dropped drastically, and silk (as opposed to asa (bast fibers or cotton) was suddenly within the budget of most Japanese.[5] Stores also began to sell off-the-peg, ready-to-wear kimonos at about this time.[4]

Traditionally a peasant cloth, handmade tsumugi is very labour-intensive to produce, so it is now expensive.

  • Tsumugi has a plain tabby weave. Lined kimono (awase).
  • Tsumugi with a dyed mon
  • Tsumugi with a dyed mon, showing slight unevenness in thread diameter.
  • Coin purse. The thick thread portions are called slubs
  • Another purse with woven stripes

Recognized Regional Varieties

Tsumugi was originally a homespun textile and many regional variations existed. Some of these regional variations still exist today and are recognized as meibutsu, famous products of their place of origin.

Name Kanji Traditional Sites Notes Example image
Amiito tsumugi Shiga Prefecture Recycled weft threads respun and rewoven to make obi.
Gujo tsumugi 郡上島紬 Hachiman, Gifu
Honba oshima tsumugi 本場大島紬 Amami, Kagoshima
Iida tsumugi 飯田島紬 Iida, Nagano
Kumejima-tsumugi 久米島紬 Kumejima, Okinawa
Murayama-oshima tsumugi 村山大島紬 Musashimurayama, Tokyo
Oitama tsumugi 置賜紬 Oitama region: Oitama Tsumugi is a collective term for six different tsumugi made in the region, including:
  • Benibana tsumugi
  • Heiyougasuri
  • Itajime kogasuri
  • Kusakizome tsumugi
  • Shirataka itajime kogasuri
  • Yokosogasuri
Ojiya tsumugi 小千谷島紬 Ojiya, Niigata
Shinshu tsumugi 信州紬 Nagano Prefecture
Shiozawa tsumugi 塩沢島紬 Shiozawa, Niigata
Tosa men tsumugi Kagami, Kōchi (Kami)
Ueda tsumugi 上田島紬 Ueda, Nagano Ueda tsumugi is always striped and is sometimes referred to as Ueda jima (stripes).
Ushikubi tsumugi 牛首紬 Hakusan, Ishikawa
Yūki-tsumugi 結城紬 Yūki, Ibaraki

See also

References
  1. "Variety of Nishijin textile". Nishijin Textile Industry Association. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  2. "Ojiya tsumugi silk". KOGEI JAPAN.
  3. Dusenbury, Mary (1992). "A WISTERIA GRAIN BAG and other tree bast fiber textiles of Japan". Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  4. "Kimono Mochi: private kimono collection photographs and text". kimonomochi kimono collection. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  5. "The lowly komon kimono is the workhorse of the kimono wardrobe, worn for trips to town, to friends houses, in any situation which is outside of the home but informal. Despite their name, which means 'small design', komon can have large or small imagery, and the repeat can be staggered widely. painted, closely stencilled, woven, Printed, striped, spotted, shibori, silk, jinken, modern polyester--if it's a repetitive design, short-sleeved, and without kamon, then it's a komon". Kimono mochi: kimono collection.
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