"Hugs and Kisses" Oshima KimonoThis is a woman's vintage casual kimono. The dark brown background was created with a traditional mud-dye technique called oshima or dorozome. Oshima refers to the iron-rich mud used to dye the threads brown and is said to strengthen the fibers so the kimono will last a long time. This technique, unfortunately, is now done only on a few islands in the southern part of Japan.The kimono's patterning is an ikat woven design of X's and O's in a grid. Ikat (also called kasuri) is a centuries-old method of weaving where the threads are dyed before being woven, so that the design appears on the loom. Ikat is a very labor-intensive textile art form, still very much revered in Japan and elsewhere. See the amazing process in the video below.The underarm seam has been reinforced on both sides, see photo.
