The Japan Design Committee is pleased to present “Kurume Kasuri: A Heritage for the Future,” the 786th exhibition at Design Gallery 1953.
Kurume kasuri is a cotton kimono length created around the beginning of the 19th century based on the idea of a 12-year-old girl named Den Inoue. The warp and weft threads are both bound together, dyed, and woven in a regular pattern to create the warp and weft kasuri. Kurume kasuri, which is made of cotton and dyed with indigo, has spread as an everyday item of clothing for many people.
In the Design Gallery, we will introduce the Kurume-kasuri techniques and tools that have been handed down from generation to generation, as well as the activities of the “Igeta no Kai,” a group that commercializes Kurume-kasuri for the modern age.
Message from Reiko Sudo, Exhibition Director
Kurume kasuri textiles are currently produced in northern Kyushu around the towns of Kurume, Chikugo, Yame, Hirokawa and Oki of Fukuoka Prefecture. Among the various techniques used, junmen shoai pure cotton indigo dyeing, te-kukuri hand-tying and te-ori hand-weaving have been designated Intangible Cultural Properties by the Japanese government. While a mechanical means of tying kasuri threads prior to dyeing was developed in 1909, manual processes also became able to deliver an output of high-quality textiles in volume. The entire area is involved in everything from museum pieces to cottage industry level production, an enviably rare sustainable achievement.
Exhibition Outline
- Title: The 786th Design Gallery 1953 Exhibition “Kurume Kasuri: A Heritage for the Future”
- Dates: December 27 (Wed), 2023 — February 19 (Mon), 2024, 11:00 a.m. — 8:00 p.m.; closing at 5:00 p.m. on the last day; free admission
- Venue: Matsuya Ginza 7th floor, Design Gallery 1953
- Organizer: Japan Design Committee
- Exhibition Director: Reiko Sudo
- Cooperation: Ikeda Kasuri Kobo, Kubo Kasuri Orimono, Shimogawa Orimono, Tomihisa Orimono, Nishihara Orimono, Noguchi Orimono, Nomura Orimono, Nomura Masanori Kasuri Factory, Marugame Ikat Textile, Yamamura Kasuri Kobo, Okamoto Shoten, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation kurume kasuri Preservation Society, Hinomoto.c.f, Panoramatiks, NUNO Corporation
• Please refer to the Matsuya Ginza website for the opening hours and other information.
Design Salon Talk and Kurume Kasuri Product Sales
- A talk event by related parties is scheduled to be held on January 12 (Fri), 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
- From January 10 (Wed) to 23 (Tue), 2024, Kurume Kasuri products will be on sale in the Design Collection sales area.
• Details will be posted on this page as soon as they are finalized.
