tenugui 手ぬぐい
TRANSCRIPT
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Isnt it interesting how something one person will dismiss without a glance, another person
will see as a rare treasure? Tenuguioften fall into this category.
The word tenugui( ) means hand wipe. And that is what they are. They are also used for
head coverings, on occasion for wrapping things, and to wipe up spills on the floorbut not all
at the same time! And just because they are used for such mundane purposes doesnt mean
they have to be ugly!
One of the delightful aspects of Japanese culture is how often care and attention is taken to
make items used in everyday life not only functional but a joy to use or a beauty to behold. So
while tenuguiare put to every conceivable use as a rag, a great deal of creativity goes intomaking them attractive and many people collect them for this reason alone. Try cutting and
pasting in your browser and see how many links come up everything from
connoisseurs waxing on about the aesthetics of a particular tenuguiartist, to pages and movies
devoted to showing yet one more creative way to press this treasure into service.
One of my favorite stores in Tokyo is a tenuguistore called Fujiyain Asakusabashi. Below are
three of my favorite tenuguicollected years ago.
TREASURES FROM JOHN'S COLLECTION
TENUGUI JULY 10, 2011 | JOHN MARSHALL
John's Attic
http://www.yamato-style.com/yamato3/a_07.htmlhttp://johnmarshall.to/blog/category/treasures_from_john_marshalls_japanese_textile_collection/http://johnmarshall.to/blog/category/treasures_from_john_marshalls_japanese_textile_collection/http://johnmarshall.to/blog/category/treasures_from_john_marshalls_japanese_textile_collection/http://johnmarshall.to/blog/author/admin/http://johnmarshall.to/blog/2011/07/10/trasures-from-johns-collection-tenugui-%e6%89%8b%e3%81%ac%e3%81%90%e3%81%84/http://johnmarshall.to/blog/http://johnmarshall.to/blog/category/treasures_from_john_marshalls_japanese_textile_collection/http://www.yamato-style.com/yamato3/a_07.html -
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Incognito
Incognito (detail)
This one appeals to me for its stark simplicity and commanding
presence. The image is of a woman hiding her identity as she heads
toward a bridge from which she will leap to her death. You can almost
see her set determination in her eyes. Despite the kind of attention
burqas have received in the press over the past few years, there is
something very powerful in having all visual clues about a person
hidden, forcing ones attention entirely on the eyes. I think this piece
is classic in this senseand its handy to wipe up a spill from time to
time.
This image is of a bunrakudoll. Here, again, it is the face that captures
my heart. What is not visible in the photograph are the very subtle
additions of color to areas of the clothing. See below for an
explanation of how this is achieved.
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Bunraku Doll
Bunraku Doll (detail)
The image to the right
has not been flipped
accidentally. Keep in
mind that chuusen-dyed
items have no right or
wrong side and may be
viewed from either.
And lastly, I find this tenuguito be quite amusing. After all, it is offering a history of its own use
and listing the occupation or type of person pressing it into service.
Tenugui as Headgear
See if you can guess any of the occupations of the people below based on their headgear.
There are a few you may be able to spot right away: the burglar, the convalescent, the
housewife, the fellow returning from the bath, and the clandestine traveler.
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Array of Colors Awaiting Use
Tenugui Headgear (detail)
The above tenuguiare all dyed using the chuusenmethod. Click on Textile of the Week:
Chuusento see how one studio goes about producing these. Read on for a slightly different
perspective.
First take a peak at this clip on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxHdM_uXTlg.
The images below are taken from it.
Synthetic dyes boast qualities best
suited to chuusen. They are
inexpensive, and can be stored for
long periods of time. Most require
steaming, but bypass the need for a
mordant.
Isnt this a wonderful shot of a dye can? Simplicity of line coupled with an efficient design make
it a joy to use as well as ponder the meaning of life in ever shifting planes of universal bends
twists and dings, etc., etc., etc. . . .OK, then.
http://johnmarshall.to/blog/2011/07/10/textile-of-the-week-chuusen-%E6%B3%A8%E6%9F%93-201114-2/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxHdM_uXTlg -
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Dye Can at Rest
Stencils Stored Overhead
This seasons selection of stencil
images are stored overhead for easy
access. Each stencil is attached to a
wooden frame from which it may be
detached for long-term storage.
Applying Paste
The craftsman pulls from a large batch of paste using a wood debaberato push the paste
through the stencil. Layer after layer he alternates the cotton and the paste until a full bolt of
fabric has been prepared. The paste image in each consecutive layer must line up precisely
with the layer below.
http://www.johnmarshall.to/H-Tools.htm#herahttp://johnmarshall.to/blog/2011/07/10/trasures-from-johns-collection-tenugui-%E6%89%8B%E3%81%AC%E3%81%90%E3%81%84/Dye%20Can%20Used%20to%20Position%20Dyes%20(the%20%22pour%22%20part%20of%20pour-dyeing) -
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Foot Controlled Vacuum Switch
Moats of Paste Help to Contain the Dyes
Additional paste has been added to the top layer of the cloth encircling some areas with a
moat. Notice that these boundaries do not follow the lines of the original image or stencil.
Instead they are helping to define the areas into which additional colors or shadings will be
added. This may be easier to detect in the image below. (I like the plastic jug above that has
been cut in half and turned up side down to use.)
Pouring Additional Color into the Contained Areas.
As dye is added to the fabric it is
quickly pulled through the many layers
and into a waiting receptacle. The
craftsman controls the vacuum
suction with a foot lever.
Once all of the colors have been
added, the fabric is steamed and the
paste removed.
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Automated Silk Screen Set Up
Finished Image
Can you see how the shaded areas relate to the moats above?
The fabric is folded back and forth upon itself and the dye passes through all layers equally.
Therefore there is no real right or wrong side to the image (unless text is involved). This is true
chuusen.
Tenuguiare sold in stores, but they are also quite often commissioned by businesses to hand
out free to customers, a bit like refrigerator magnets are handed out here. Often these will
contain a company logo, business name, or advertisement of some sort. Because of the labor
involved in the chuusenprocess, cheaper methods are always being explored and exploited.
One such method is not so very new. It
involves automated silk screening as
seen on the right.
Another increasingly common method
is simply using an inkjet printer and
textile inks with a very wide format
printer.
However, in both of these printing
techniques there is a sharp difference
between the right and wrong side, as
seen below.
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