Kasuri

This article is about a textile technique. For other uses, see Kasuri (disambiguation).

A display table showing a number of different indigo-dyed kasuri fabrics, some stacked on wooden stands in roll-form, others displayed flat in front of the rolls, and some hanging on small stands.
Iyo-kasuri fabric, along with kurume- and bingo-kasuri, the three main varieties of kasuri in Japan

Kasuri (絣) is the Japanese term for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric, typically referring to fabrics produced within Japan using this technique. It is a form of ikat dyeing, traditionally resulting in patterns characterized by their blurred or brushed appearance.[1]

The warp and weft threads are resist-dyed in specific patterns prior to dyeing, with sections of the warp and weft yarns tightly wrapped with thread to protect them from the dye. When woven together, the undyed areas interlace to form patterns, with many variations – including highly pictographic and multi-colored results – possible to achieve. Kasuri patterns may be applied to either the warp or the weft, or to both in order to create a resulting woven pattern, with the cloth classified using different names depending on the method used.[2]

Though commonly confused, the terms kasuri and meisen are not interchangeable. While kasuri refers to a dyeing technique, meisen, literally translating as "common silk stuff", refers to a type of fabric woven from thread spun from noil. Meisen is a hard-faced, hard-wearing, stiff silk fabric with a slight sheen. The confusion stems from the fact that meisen fabrics are very commonly, though not always, dyed using the kasuri technique.[3]: 79 

  1. ^ Tomito, Jun; Tomita, Noriko (1982). Kasuri: Japanese Ikat Weaving, The Techniques of Kasuri. Oxford: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0-7100-9043-9.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference CIBA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Dees, Jan (2009). Taishō Kimono: Speaking of Past and Present. Milan: Skira Editore. ISBN 978-88-572-0011-8.