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| Passion Investments: Antiques |
Undiscovered Country
Marisa Bartolucci
11/01/2004
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Indigo rags were rarely
woven into sakiori rugs; they were reserved instead for work clothes, which
tradition dictated be modest in hue. Fishermen especially favored the material
for their hanten because it was water-resistant. Szczepanek offers a pristine
fisherman’s hanten from the early 20th century for $1,800; Kahlenberg is selling
a late 19th-century work kimono with an unusual light indigo, pink and white
weave for $5,000. But floor coverings can be even more valuable, owing to their
rarity. Colored rags—oranges, pinks, reds, browns and greens—were woven into
irregularly striped blankets and rugs, creating designs that possess the vibrant
exuberance of an abstract painting. Unblemished sakiori rugs can run from $1,000
to $10,000, depending on the size. Noriko Miyamoto of Miyamoto Japanese Antiques
in Sag Harbor, N.Y., is one of the best-known dealers in these pieces. She sells
rugs from the early 1900s that are about 5 feet by 5 feet for $1,200.
While
some collectors focus on these recycled forms of Mingei textiles, others expand
into its elaborately dyed fabrics. These were used to fashion the garments and
furnishings of the rural middle and upper classes. There is, for example,
shiburi, which refers to a variety of resist-dyeing techniques involving the
binding or clamping of fabric, such as tie-dye and kasuri, to create elaborate
repeat patterns. Shiburi flourished in the late Edo and Meiji periods. Trading
was lively, leading to expanded visual communication within Japan and with the
West. Dyeing motifs were copied and adapted. Fabrics sumptuously patterned with
katazome, a form of stenciling, even influenced the textile designs of the
Weiner Werkstatte.
Collectors also treasure tsutsugaki, “tube drawing,” a
freehand style of dyeing that allowed detailed, occasionally multicolored scenes
and symbols. A bride’s trousseau typically included a futonji embellished
in this fashion. Szczepanek offers an extraordinary tsutsugaki from the late
19th century, with a rare ceremonial design of cranes, plum blossoms, pines and
bamboo, for $4,000.
When Cynthia Shaver first started dealing in Mingei
textiles 26 years ago, there were, she says, “about two books on the subject.
Now you go into a museum book shop and there is a whole section.” While she is
gratified that more people have become aficionados, she complains that it has
become increasingly difficult to discover exceptional pieces. Kahlenberg
possesses a more philosophical view. Now that prices are rising, she believes
early collectors will start selling, sending wonderful pieces back into the
market. For the time being, Kahlenberg suggests that we pounce when we find
something desirable. But we must always pay attention to quality and
authenticity. Fifi White, a trailblazing collector of Mingei textiles—her
collection now belongs to the Seattle Museum of Art—is now a dealer through her
company, Asiatica, which is based in Kansas City, Mo. White warns: “You have to
be careful that the work you buy hasn’t been recently recycled.”
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