GALLERY KEI IN KYOTO.

Last year I went to Japan to study a special weaving technique called MOJIRI-ORI.
When I was in Kyoto I came along this very beautiful gallery and shop owned by Kei KAWASAKI called Gallery Kei.
I visit the place three times and the last time she let me take some photos.

Gallery Kei deals with old folk craft and pottery, textiles known as Primitive Textiles. Many of them in a combination of indigo and white. The materials used in these textiles is different kinds of bast fibers, such as linden, elm, banana, ramie and hemp.
View from Gallery Kei's shop and gallery in Kyoto, located at Teramachi street close to Kyoto Gosyo.

Komebukuro bags, also known as rice bags. Made of samples of clothes; woven, printed and stitched.

A beautiful jacket from the Ainu people.

Beautiful examples of the technique called SASHIKO. A textile is woven and stitched afterwards to make these beautiful patterns.
I were so lucky to find a jacket, very simpel at a fleamarket in Kyoto. This one I will later show in another post. Mine is much more simpel than the ones shown here from Gallery Kei. Today it's not so easy to find them anymore.

Detail of SASHIKO.

Sampels of woven textiles in indigo and white. Some in stripes and others in kasuri. Simpel and still so amazing.

In the top of this photo there is samples of printed textiles and in the bottom jackets, made in leather. These I only saw a very few of and only at museum and here at Gallery Kei.

RAGS or Saki-ori.

Workwear for ordinary people.

I was so lucky to find one at a fleamarket. Mine is a vest in indigo and it is hold together in the sides with smal clothes of SASHIKO stitch. Very simple. I will later show it in another post.

Beautiful jackets and coats in different kinds of bast fibers. Simplicity is so beautiful.

If you are interested in these textiles, Gallery Kei have made it possible for people to buy selected items through her webpage.

Sri is an american textile galley, specialised in japanese folk textiles. They have a nice blog too.

Of books I can recommend several. Some I have bought in Japan, all have an english translation.

Shin-Ichiro Yoshida and Dai Williams:

Riches from Rags. Saki-ori & other recycling traditions in japanese rural clothing.

San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum.

David Sorgato: BORO.

Kogin and Sashiko Stitch. From the Kyoto Shosoin's Art Library of Japanese Textiles. Vol. 13.

The Clothes of the Ainu People. From the Kyoto Shosoin's Art Library of Japanese Textiles. Vol. 16.