The World of Tie-Dyeing (JP)

Cloth which expresses a three-dimensional effect through ruggedness and wrinkling is said to have originated in India, but it is also thought that it was spontaneously born in various parts of the world. In Japan, such precise techniques were developed that luxurious shibori-dyed belts and kimono became an epidemic of sartorial envy, to the point that items were controlled by sumptuary laws during the Edo period. In Arimatsu and Narumi alone, artisans have developed hundreds of distinct techniques.

However, fragments of cloth with simple expressions using the basic techniques of tie-dyeing have been excavated from ancient sites across the world, such as in Peru and Central Asia. The shibori which occurred and propagated throughout the world developed into various traditions of shibori dyeing each with their own customs, beliefs, prayers, and expressions representative of each culture.

This book surveys regions across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, showing how the tie-dyeing technique called "bandhani" or "laharia" which is said to be born in India is also associated with Indonesian islands such as Java, Bali, and Lombok, used to dye surendan (shawl, breastplate) and ceremonial cloth. Other highlighted regions include Pakistan, Cambodia, and the Philippines. In particular this book focuses on a unique original method of shibori found in Vanuatu in the South Pacific. In the Middle East and Central Asia, the book examines shibori traditions of Turkmenistan and Syria, woolen goods and felts in Mongolia and Tibet, and indigo-dyed cotton goods produced by ethnic minorities in China.

Across Africa, techniques of great interest which are practiced to this day include the use of raffia palm fiber to aid shibori on narrow handwoven cotton bands, and methods of sewing sticks, stones, leaves and the like on cloth to create a resist. These various techniques produce cloth of bold design. More than variation between nations, techniques and design can vary completely between ethnic groups as well.

In Japan, the book examines the uninterrupted tradition of shibori dating from ancient times and inspects its practice in the modern day.

In total, this book surveys the history and tradition of shibori in 24 countries across the world, not only gathering simple information on techniques, but drawing connections between the lives of people who practice shibori.

Written by Hiroko Andō; published in Japan by Seibundo Shinkosha (2016). 19 x 26.5cm (7.5 x 10.5in); 224 pages; full color images; Japanese text. ISBN 9784416715109.