This kimono is not made of hemp or silk, but “rice” and “rice bran”.
One reason why you feel at peace when you look at the materials and colors is due to the fact that they are edible foods and are familiar materials. What should be focused on is that this artwork is designed to be used as sheets, partitions, and even clothes when people are seeking refuge from earthquakes and floods.
The helix pattern that can be seen on the previous artwork, the national treasure kaen-gata doki, was also used in this work. The pattern is formed out of intertwined ivy and leaves, which is a traditional textile material.
This is a precise miniature representation of the region. The culture that took root in this region is transformed into a design that envelops people.
And here, the art poses a question to you.
Snowy countries like Echigo-Tsumari cannot carry out agricultural activities in the winter. So how is income generated? A lucrative side business is textiles. Echigo-Tsumari is especially suited for weaving durable and high quality hemp due to high levels of humidity present even in the winter.
The silk industry is especially active when winter arrives; the sounds of looms reverberate throughout the town to the extent that some know this place as the land of “3000 weaving machines”. There are many artworks here that utilize old Japanese-style houses, so if you happen to visit those houses, try searching for traces of textiles.