Japanese Country Textiles

This is a study of Japanese country textiles, covering design, techniques and the social context, taking examples from the V&A Museum's varied collection. The book examines the way in which country textiles have been categorized in the 20th century. Woven from cotton- and linen-like fabrics and patterned by resist-dyeing techniques, these textiles range from indigo-blue futon covers to the coloured robes of Okinawa. The book examines their complex and time-consuming manufacture and the varied repertoire of effects employed by the weavers and dyers of 18th- and 19th-century Japan. It places the textiles within their historical context in order to gain a greater understanding of the social, religious, political and economic significance, and concludes with a brief exploration of the survival of traditional textiles within the highly mechanized and urbanized society of modern Japan.