(Above) Women who still make and wear sashiko on Sado Island. Courtesy York Art Gallery
Exhibition: Japanese Sashiko Textiles, York Art Gallery, York, until January 24 2010, then Collins Gallery, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, February 27 - April 11; Ruthin Craft, Ruthin, May 8 - July 4 (to be confirmed); Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery, Plymouth, July 31 - September 26
Push open the tall glass door into York Art Gallery and you will be confronted by a swathe of blue, t-shaped garments dyed in indigo hang from wooden poles and metres of material appear to cover the whitewashed walls.
For this year's winter exhibition the curators have packed away the paintings and replaced them with a vibrant display of Japanese sashiko textiles.
Up until the mid-20th century sashiko, literally meaning "little stabs", was the traditional method of making workwear in fishing and farming areas across Japan. Designed for windswept seas and labour in the fields, the clothes were made to last.
Sashiko patched coat. © Ogi Folk Museum
As western fashion wove its way into Japan, however, these handmade items fell into factories. Sashiko clothing, with its distinctive blue hue, quickly became a sign of poverty. The exhibition, featuring more than 100 sashiko items, thus records a dying art form. Only a handful of women still make and wear sashiko.
And yet, despite the craft's demise the exhibition refuses to appear downcast. Instead, the exploration into the methods of making these intricate garments becomes a celebration of the beauty and skill behind sashiko.
Wandering past the vast array of sashiko clothing it is the bright white patterns, stitched onto the inside of the garments, which catch the eye. This elaborate embroidery was thought to spiritually and physically protect the wearer. Tucked away on a fireman's coat, for example, is a highly heroic image.
(Above) Sashiko leg warmers. © Aikawa Folk Museum
It is almost as if the women have sewn dreams into the seams of each sashiko item. Hanging opposite the fireman's coat is wrapping cloth made for a fishing community. A chrysanthemum, symbolic of long life, blossoms amidst a deep sea blue.
Fishnet patterns and the shapes of shells appear to drift from corner to corner, while the ruffled running stitch creates a ripple on the surface of the fabric.
Though the exhibition is steeped in tradition and the craft of a long lost age, the back of the gallery shows signs of the new. Contemporary takes on the craft, such as Tokunaga Miyoko's coppery dress, shimmer under the spotlight.
Strange sashiko shoes and even sashiko socks also make up this modern display. Perhaps, after all, this ancient technique will last a little longer.
Keep up to date with Culture24's exhibition news, reviews and previews with iGoogle - a more personal way to use Google.com
