Vintage Japanese Tsumugi Obi Fabric
We have the great pleasure of making our collections from some of the world's most beautiful textiles. Working with beautiful textiles like this spectacular tsumugi silk obi never gets old. The color depth,...
We have the great pleasure of making our collections from some of the world's most beautiful textiles. Working with beautiful textiles like this spectacular tsumugi silk obi never gets old. The color depth, texture, and unique patterning are stunning.
We've been fortunate to come across quite a few obi over the years, but this particular one, dating back to the 1970s, came to us through a friend/collector who recently returned with it from Japan.
An obi is the "sash" used to wrap around the waist of a traditional kimono, varying in lengths and widths, although most-always narrow (less than 14"). This obi is woven with a blend of cotton and tsumugi silk. Tsumugi is woven from the silk floss remaining in the silkworm cocoon after the long full silk threads are removed. The beautiful slubs are a characteristic of tsumugi- a bit rougher and textural, becoming softer over the course of using the fabric.
We felt this beautiful textile, with its deep navy ground and pops of citrus and earthen colors was perfectly suited for our newest travel kit (below). Meant to travel the world and only get better with age.
