Grabbing the fashionable spirit of the Edo people! Experience the history of Matsusaka cotton weaving!

step
2

Hello, I am a MieL editor and I am a member of the MieL editorial board! This is the MieL editorial team!

Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, is nowMatsusaka Beefis particularly famous, but in the Edo periodHome of the Matsusaka merchants who played a role in the Japanese economyIt was also known as a town on the road to Ise.

This time,Members of San-El challenged themselves to experience weaving the "Matsusaka cotton" that helped Matsusaka merchants to make their fortune.The following is a brief introduction to the

Striped patterns swept the streets of Edo! The Profound History of Matsusaka Momen

west side of a river

First of all, before introducing the weaving experience, we would like to introduce the history of Matsusaka cotton.

In the late 5th century, weaving techniques were brought to Matsusaka from the continent, making it the center of spinning and weaving in ancient Japan, and in the 15th century, cotton, which originated in Egypt and India, was introduced to Japan, giving rise to Matsusaka cotton in the early 16th century.

In the Edo period (1603-1867), Matsuzaka merchants accounted for 70% of the approximately 200 kimono stores in the city of Edo.The resourcefulness of these Matsusaka merchants led to a huge boom in Matsusaka momen.

How big the boom was,The town of Edo had a population of 1 million and sold about 500,000 antiques a year.It is even said that

Matsusaka cotton is characterized by its striped patterns woven with yarn dyed with natural indigo. The high quality of the design caught the hearts of the iki (stylish) and gallant Edo commoners, and was considered a sophisticated design in spite of the restrictions on clothing imposed by the thrift ordinance.

Even today, Matsusaka cotton is so representative of the striped pattern that Kabuki actors wear a striped kimono, which is called "Matsusaka wo kudatta" (to wear Matsusaka).

Matsusaka cotton, a traditional craft designated by Mie Prefecture

In recent years, as time has passed, Matsusaka cotton has been written in hiragana as "Matsusaka cotton," but as a traditional craft, it is written as "Matsusaka cotton.

There used to be many cotton fabrics in Mie Prefecture, but only a few of them remain today.There are only three types of cotton: "Matsusaka cotton," "Ise cotton," and "Ichigi cotton.Both are designated as traditional crafts by Mie Prefecture. Both are traditional crafts designated by Mie Prefecture, but there is only one factory left in Mie Prefecture for each, making them very valuable.

Features of Matsusaka Momen

What is the greatest feature of Matsusaka cotton?It is also known as "Matsusaka stripes.The striped pattern, woven using yarn dyed with natural indigo, can express subtle shades of gray by the way it is dyed, so the range of designs is unlimited.

It is said that the use of natural indigo yarn made it comfortable to the touch and the indigo's insect repellent effect made it popular among the common people of Edo at that time. Haragake, woven from Matsusaka cotton, were also worn by the firemen who protected the city of Edo as work clothes for firefighting and fire prevention.

Thus, it can be said that Matsusaka cotton was an indispensable part of the daily life of the common people at that time.

How Matsusaka cotton is woven

Machine-woven "Matsusaka cotton" is also sold, but weaving on a loom has a unique texture. The good thing about weaving on a loom is that it can be adjusted delicately to suit the weaver's taste.

Weaving is,Compared to machine weaving, it is softer and more comfortable to the touch.It is a fabric woven with a larger yarn count (a unit of yarn thickness). Fabrics woven with yarns of higher yarn count (a unit of yarn thickness) are said to produce fabrics with a silky sheen.

There are many types of yarn thicknesses, from fine to thick, and the larger the yarn count, the finer the yarn and the higher the price.

It is said to take a skilled weaver 6 to 8 hours a day for about 20 days to weave one piece (about 37 cm wide and 12 meters 50 cm long).

Weaving experience for an extraordinary time

Matsusaka Cotton Hand Weaving Center is,Matsusaka cotton specialty store selling fabrics with original patternsIt is. In the store,Kimono, samue, shirts, aprons, handbags, noren, and other accessoriesand others are available for sale.

Also in the center,Matsusaka cotton weaving experienceThere are two types of weaving experiences: an approximately one-hour course and a four- to five-hour course. There are two types of weaving experiences: a one-hour course and a four- to five-hour course,Trial Reservation FormYou can apply from

Reservation forms are available at,Available up to 3 days prior to the reservation dateI applied through the trial form this time. If you participate in the trial course, you do not need to bring anything with you, but when we called to confirm this as well, they explained it to us in detail.

In this experience, I applied for the Petit Orihime experience course and wove a "small article rug of about 15 x 20 cm" in about one hour. (The picture in the image is what I actually wove during this experience.)

The process from application to completion of the trial was as follows.

When you're ready, get started.The Orihime ExperienceStart!

The weaver looks like a weaver,Tsujibashi, president of Sun-El.It is!

The weaving machine uses a reed to position the warp threads and push the weft threads into position.

Tsujibashi uses a loom,A loom called "Kyoki" brought from KyotoThe loom used by the other members of the group was different from the one used by the other members. Unlike the looms used by the other members, it takes a little more force to drive the reed into the loom,Depending on the amount of force applied, the finished textile fabric will have tension and elasticity.

The weaving procedure is as follows

The weft is set on the loom in two rows, and the shuttle with the wound weft is slid from right to left by hand.

2. Use the reed to hit the weft threads in front of you, use the pedals to switch the warp threads from top to bottom, slide the weft threads from left to right in reverse, and then hit them in front of you again.

3. the key point is the minute amount of force, neither too strong nor too weak, when striking the weft by hand.

4. repeat this sequence of actions.

You may think it is a monotonous task because it is a repetition of the same action. However,Because both legs are used alternately, the shuttle held in the hand can get caught on the warp if you are not careful.This is often the case.

Here is what a shuttle is!

This is what weaving looks like when viewed from above.

Take home your own one-of-a-kind item during the weaving experience!

After the experience is over,The 20-centimeter-long rug can also be used as a business card holder by folding the long side in two and sewing the two ends.The stories were also told to us by the staff.

The rug I made during the workshop is now being used as a vase mat at home. The deep indigo fabric of the rugs goes well with brightly colored Western flowers!

In addition, there is an opportunity to see a scene from a TV period drama in which a loom is used to weave fabric. It was also a great discovery for me to understand what was going on in the movements that I had seen in the video through my own weaving experience.

We encourage everyone to give it a try with an open mind!