{"title":"Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"boro-rags-and-tatters","title":"Boro: Rags and Tatters","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Boro: Rags and Tatters from the Far North of Japan\" by Yukiko Koide \u0026amp; Kyoichi Tsuzuki introduces readers to Japanese \"boro\" textiles, literally rags that made up clothing and household textiles. Tohoku (snow country), and especially Aomori Prefecture was synonymous to most Japanese with dire poverty. Located on the northernmost tip of the main island of Honsu, Aomori was home to poor farmers who, out of necessity, created astonishingly beautiful textiles. This frozen north country was too cold to grow cotton, so the local folk grew and wove hemp for clothing and made everything, from diapers to futon bedding to work clothes, from scratchy hemp cloth. If a single layer of cloth wasn't warm enough, they stitched and reinforced layer upon layer, patching holes and stuffing hemp fuzz in between for whatever insulation they could get. During the same period in parts of Japan further south, people who could get cotton used and reused any scrap of it they could get. People soaked worn-out old clothes in rice-rinsing water to loosen and pull out threads, never wasting the least bit, stitching over ripped and ragged layers as thick as they could. Or they cut the cloth into thin ribbons and re-wove it into \"sakiori\". They braided bits of fibers into rope to be worn as headbands while doing farmwork.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The beauty and composition of these pure and simple products have drawn the attention of textile and contemporary art collectors, and boro has been exhibited in New York and Milan. This book presents the collection of Chuzaburo Tanaka, who walked the farming and fishing villages of Aomori from the mid-1960s searching out boro. The collection includes thick jackets made for home or night wear, work clothes, including trousers and vests, undershirts, leggings, children's clothes, tabi (split-toe socks), mittens, diapers, and bedding. The book has very little text, but it is printed in both Japanese and English, as are the captions of the photographs. There is a good explanation of the use and history of both hemp and cotton, as well as how cloth was reused for various purposes. The book contains a brief history of Chuzabuo Tanaka. Almost every page has a beautiful color photograph, so you can see both full-length and up-close images of these wonderful folk textiles.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This un-paginated (approx. 120 pages) book measures approx. 6.75 by 8 inches. This book is brand-new, published in 2009. An earlier edition was published in Japan in 2008.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e If you like sashiko stitching, indigo, mingei, folk art or Japanese textiles, you'll find this book very interesting.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tsuzuki","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":236066491,"sku":"","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/4604\/products\/boro.jpg?v=1346205938"},{"product_id":"tsutsugaki-textiles-of-japan","title":"Tsutsugaki Textiles of Japan","description":"\u003cp\u003eHere’s an exceptional book you don’t see for sale very often in the West: “Tsutsugaki Textiles of Japan: Traditional Freehand Paste Resist Indigo Dyeing Techniques of Auspicious Motifs” with preface by Rokosuke Ei, foreword by Kiyotaro Tsujiai, edited by Sachio Yoshioka featuring textiles from the collection of Gensho Sasakura.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nTsutsugaki is a Japanese term for the practice of drawing designs in rice paste on cloth, dyeing the cloth, washing the paste off, and leaving a lighter design on a darker background. The rice paste is typically made from sweet rice, which has a high starch content and is therefore rather sticky. The paste is applied through a tube (the tsutsu) similar to the tubes which are used by Western bakers to decorate cakes. The cloth is typically cotton, and the dye is typically indigo, so the design is usually white on blue. Clothing and banners for were often made in this manner. The designs are often creatures from Japanese mythology such as the crane or the tortoise, or a family crest, or a name (written in kanji), and flowers and trees were common motifs as well.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nThis brand-new copy is comprised almost completely of large (many full-page) color photographs of exceptional tsutsugaki items with text in both Japanese and English. Each of the 189 full-color plates is accompanied by an English description to include a short photographic section on how tsutsugaki is made. Unlike many Japanese books of this genre, understanding the text is not an issue – the English explanations are very well done. The book is divided into chapters with each focusing on common tustsugaki subjects: Hoo (Phoenix); Shishi (Lion Dog); Noshi (Auspicious Abalone); Shochikubai (Plum, Bamboo, Pine); Shochikubai and Tsurukame (Plum, Bamboo, Pine, Crane, Tortoise); Tsurukame (Crane and Tortoise); Take (Bamboo); Ogi (Fan); Takarazukushi (Treasures); Haioke (Traditional Game Container); Soka (Flowering Plants); Chadogu (Tea Ceremony Implements); Marumon (Circular Motifs); Kamon (Family Crests); Choju (Animals and Birds); and Monogatari (Folk Tales). This is an exceptionally nice book – outstanding English explanations, beautiful photographs, and an interesting and comprehensive look at a fascinating genre of Japanese textiles.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nThis 177-page, 11.75 x 8.75 inch softcover was published by Shikosha Publishing in 1987. Condition is brand-new with minor shelf wear, ready to occupy a place of honor in your textile library.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Shikosha Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":236080431,"sku":"","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/4604\/products\/tsutsugaki_textiles_1.jpg?v=1346208856"},{"product_id":"wrappings-of-happiness","title":"Wrappings of Happiness","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Wrappings of Happiness: A Traditional Korean Art Form” beautifully documents the pojagi, a traditional wrapping cloth that Koreans have for centuries used for wrapping, storing and transporting precious and ordinary objects. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nPojagi occupied a prominent place in the lives of Koreans of all classes during the Choson dynasty (1892-1910), and were used not only for wrapping but for a variety of purposes, from covering a food table, to draping a Confucian or Buddhist altar, to protecting a sacred text. Wrapping an object with a pojagi represented not only a concern for what was being wrapped, but also respect for its receiver. Pojagi are typically made of silk, gossamer, cotton, or ramie, in a diverse array of colors and designs and a wide range of construction techniques: sometimes lined or unlined, padded or quilted, embroidered or even painted. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nThe 61 exquisite selections included in this book date from the 18th through the 20th centuries and were on display at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in an exhibition held in late 2003. Supported with a lucid and informative text, they constitute a fascinating introduction into a brilliant textile art.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nThis 112-page, 9 x 12 inch softcover was published by the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii in 2003.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Honolulu Academy of Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":236082519,"sku":"","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/4604\/products\/wrappings_of_happiness_1.jpg?v=1346210137"},{"product_id":"sashiko-and-tsugaru-kogin","title":"Sashiko and Tsugaru Kogin","description":"\u003cp\u003e \r\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ctable align=\"center\"\u003e\r\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\r\n      \u003ctr\u003e\r\n        \u003ctd\u003e\r\n          \u003cdiv\u003e\r\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003e\"Sashiko and Tsugaru Kogin\" is a book about a uniquely Japanese needlework technique that both strengthened a fabric used for everyday wear, and made fabrics thicker to provide warmth.   Kogin is characterized by blue and white geometric designs, which are embroidered with thick threads.  This book is now out-of-print and is difficult to find.  \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n              \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003eThe origins of this technique can be traced to the Tsugaru Peninsula at the northwestern tip of Honshu - Japan's main island – in the 1600's. Two terms that are used to refer to this type of needlework are 'sashiko' and 'kogin'. The first, sashiko, means \"to stitch\", probably the one that more Westerners are familiar with. Traditionally, sashiko was stitched over an even number of threads. 'Kogin' was the term used to describe designs stitched over an odd number of threads. But over time, both techniques became known as Kogin. The patterns can be all-over designs, a horizontal or vertical straight band, a diagonal band, or a freestanding design. Kogin designs were used on wearable clothing, and are recognized by white threads stitched on a dark blue background. Threads and fabrics were selected which could withstand hard use and frequent laundering.\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n              \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003eThe text in this book is entirely in Japanese, but almost every page has a photograph or illustration of sashiko or kogin designs, textiles, or people wearing garments with stitching. These were not the clothes of the rich, but rather the clothing of workmen or farmers. Please note that this is not an instruction book with stitching patterns. There are close-ups of stitching, in which you can clearly see the designs.\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n              \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003eIf you have tried sashiko or kogin, and would like to learn more about it's origin, or find source material for adapting your own designs, this book is for you! Many of the textiles are indigo-dyed, and many are \"boro\", or raggedy cloth. You'll see pants, vests, jackets, gloves and kimono - even \"helmets\" for firemen.\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n              \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n              \u003cdiv\u003eThis is a brand-new, 83-page softcover book, published by INAX, September 1998. I believe the author's name is Masako Sumitomo. The book measures approx. 8.25 by 8.25 inches.\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n            \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n          \u003c\/div\u003e\r\n        \u003c\/td\u003e\r\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\r\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\r\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\r\n\r\n","brand":"INAX","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":273337150,"sku":"","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/4604\/products\/INAX_Sashiko.jpg?v=1359878737"},{"product_id":"taisho-chic","title":"Taisho Chic","description":"\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eTaisho Chic\u003c\/em\u003e is an absolutely stunning hardcover book printed by the Honolulu Academy of Arts of Hawaii in 2001 to accompany an exhibit held from January to March 2002.  The Taisho era was a brief but dynamic period in Japan's modern development that is often described as a Japanese version of the Roaring Twenties.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOfficially lasting from 1912 to 1926 ( the reign of the Emperor Taisho), the phrase “Taisho culture” more accurately evokes a society in transition in the twenties and early thirties when Western Jazz Age mores and styles bumped up against traditional Japanese values of harmony and tranquility. During this period, as Japan was becoming an international power, the gap between a traditional agriculturally-based population and the modern industrial sector widened.   The exhibit (and this book) was based on sixty scroll paintings, folding screens, woodblock prints, kimono, and other works of decorative art that illuminate the broad spectrum of Taisho culture. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGuest curated by Kendall H. Brown, \u003cem\u003eTaisho Chic\u003c\/em\u003e has a special focus on art and objects associated with women whose fashions, behavior, and changing roles exemplify the simultaneous clash and embrace of modernity and tradition in Japan in the twenties and thirties. The modern girl (modan gaaru, or moga for short) was the subject of much of the art of the period. These young women, the Japanese equivalent of flappers, were office workers, shop girls, or waitresses and therefore had a measure of economic independence from their families. Cafes, dance halls, and nightclubs were public spaces most associated with moga and modern life. Tokyo was still being rebuilt following the devastating earthquake of 1923, and many young sophisticates flocked to Shanghai for its cosmopolitan nightlife.  Long overlooked by scholars, the Taisho era is now seen as a significant artistic period as well as cultural phenomenon, largely thanks to the connoisseurship of the art dealer Patricia Salmon, from whom the bulk of the collection on view was purchased by the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1987.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccompanying the high-quality illustrations in this catalogue\/book are some historical and sociological essays by scholars of Japanese art and politics including an introductory essay by historian Sharon Minichiello which provides a broad context for these issues by sketching major domestic and international events and themes of the period. In his essay and catalogue entries, art historian Kendall H. Brown first examines how women were at the center of the socio-cultural debate on Japanese modernity, then details how artists helped fashion various female types, including the modern girl, the traditional beauty, and a new type of hybrid woman. An exceptional work, this very attractive catalogue\/book will prove valuable to readers interested in both Japanese art and history. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition of this 176-page, 10 by 10-inch HARDCOVER is BRAND NEW. \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Over the Blue Horizon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39888436621,"sku":"","price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/4604\/products\/taisho_chic_gallery.jpg?v=1498517335"},{"product_id":"beauty-of-tsutsugaki","title":"Beauty of Tsutsugaki","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The Beauty of Tsutsugaki” by Entani Shigeru looks at the time-honored Japanese tradition of tsutsugaki, a traditional method of dyeing cloth using rice paste to create a particular design. Long considered an art of the common people, it boasts a long history in both cities and the countryside, and often displays a delightful spontaneity and rare individuality of expression. In creating a tsustugaki cloth, rice paste is typically made from a very sweet rice, which has a high starch content and is therefore rather sticky. The paste is applied through a tube (the tsutsu) similar to the tubes which are used by bakers to decorate cakes, and a related process called katazome is to apply the paste through a stencil. The cloth is typically cotton, and the dye is typically indigo, so the design is usually a stunning white on blue. Banners for ships and shops, and workmen’s jackets are sometimes made in this manner. The designs are often creatures from Japanese mythology such as the crane or the tortoise, or a family crest, or a name written in kanji. Flowers and trees are common motifs as well. Eighty three tsutsugaki items are highlighted in this book, each nicely photographed and well described in both Japanese and English. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis approximately 130-page, 9 x 12 inch hardcover with dust jacket was published by Daruma Publishing in Japan in 2007. Condition of this book is brand-new.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis approximately 130-page, 9 x 12 inch hardcover with dust jacket was published by Daruma Publishing in Japan in 2007, and its condition is BRAND NEW.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePlease note that Over The Blue Horizon is also selling another book on tsutsugaki – “Tsutsugaki Textiles of Japan: Traditional Freehand Paste Resist Indigo Dyeing Technique of Auspicious Motifs”. The books are similar in that they are mostly comprised of color plates, and in the back of the books there is textual information for each plate. Both books are written in both Japanese and English. Now, the differences: in \"The Beauty of Tsutsugaki\", there are a wider variety of subjects and items shown: fans, horsetrappings, banners and curtains as well as the more common kimono, bedding, and wrapping cloths with a wide variety of subject matter. The essay at the back of the book contains information about regional and period groupings of tsutsugaki, using examples from the book to compare. Different materials used for tsutsugaki are discussed and there is a detailed description (a few pages) of the tsutsugaki dyeing process. And the textual information for the color plates includes an estimate of the time period the piece came from.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn the other book -- \"Tsutsugaki Textiles of Japan: Traditional Freehand Paste Resist Indigo Dyeing Technique of Auspicious Motifs\" -- the key words are \"auspicious motifs\". The book is organized into chapters by motif: phoenix, lion, peony, noshi, pine, bamboo, plum crans, fan, plants, tea ceremony utensils, crests, animals, folk tales - to name most but not all of them. Most of the tsutsugaki shown is on kimono or bedding. At the back of the book in the list of the plates, there is just information on the subject matter and type of item, no historical dating. There are a few pictures of the dyeing technique and a brief description. There is a short essay about the history of tsutsugaki, and a brief description with a few pictures of the dyeing technique.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Over the Blue Horizon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32064016875592,"sku":"","price":75.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0175\/4604\/products\/beautyoftsutsugakicoverbest.jpg?v=1589331503"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.overthebluehorizon.com\/collections\/books.oembed","provider":"Over the Blue Horizon","version":"1.0","type":"link"}