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World renowned weaving techniques – the art & craft of Nishijin textile

The history and tradition of Nishijin textile dates back some 1,500 years. Yet, in search of innovation, this textile center dispatched craftsmen to France in the early days of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to learn industrial weaving techniques, resulting in the introduction of the Jacquard loom system in Nishijin, pushing this textile center to the fore of silk fabric production, which carries on to this day. And, reproducing famed paintings in Japan and from around the world, an 1800-needle Jacquard is still being put to magnificent use to create textile artworks at the Asagi Museum. 　These Nishijin textile crafted artworks are turned into one-piece sashes, double-woven sashes, folding screens and hanging scrolls, expressing – as if brush-painted directly - an amazing fidelity to works of art by master artists, such as those in the Buddhist art field as well as Tawaraya Sotatsu and Ogata Korin of the Rinpa school, Katsuhika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and others from the world of ukiyoe (an artform that influenced many European painters), and Maruyama Okyo and Ito Jakuchu. Indeed, the museum has woven works of impressionist art by Van Gogh and Monet, brilliantly expressing the very touch of the brush in textile weaving. Among these, the use of luminous yarns in certain works turns them into masterpieces that shine in the dark. Thus, a visit to this museum offers the gratifying enjoyment to be discovered in the beautifully opulent and detailed world of Nishijin textile.