Katabira with design of cultivated seasonal flowers Paste-resist dyeing (chaya-zome) on white ramie
This katabira (ramie garment for summer wear) is thought to have been produced in the second quarter of the 19th century. It is believed that the term Chaya-zome (Chaya-dyeing) derives from Chaya Sori, the initiator of this technique. Chaya-zome generally refers to cloth made of thin, high quality bast fibers, principally dyed in shades of blue. Chaya-zome is a paste-resist technique characterized by delicate thin lines that produce elaborate depictions of plants, mountains and rivers. The Chaya-zome style katabira was worn in the summer as formal clothing by women in the shogun's inner palace, and by women residing in the mansions of leading feudal lords. This garment was considered something akin to a uniform.
The material and techniques used to produce this piece are no different from those used to produce the more strictly regulated katabira worn by such women. However, the motifs of seasonal flowers and bonsai or dwarfed trees began during the Kamakura period, but it was not until the late Edo period that the word 'bonsai' was recorded and significant development of bonsai techniques was made. Bonsai was popular as a hobby among educated people. A variety of containers were used for different trees. A book published in 1830 (kinjo-jufu) included illustrations of 62 types of pots, indicating the great interest people had in bonsai at that time.
The patterns for this katabira are believed to have been selected by a person interested in bonsai.
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Katabira with design of cultivated seasonal flowers Paste-resist dyeing (chaya-zome) on white ramie
The second quarter of the nineteenth century (Late Edo period) Heirloom of Chigusaya
