Object Timeline

2007

  • We acquired this object.

  • Work on this object began.

2008

2015

2024

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Panel, P.Kasuri No. 46

This is a Panel. It is dated 2007 and we acquired it in 2007. Its medium is choma and its technique is warp-faced plain weave with tie dye and splashed warps. It is a part of the Textiles department.

Jun Tomita is a Japanese textile artist who has worked with the traditional dyeing technique of kasuri since the 1980s, adding his own rich and contemporary interpretation. Kasuri, the Japanese word for ikat (which is derived from the Malay-Indonesian word mengikat, meaning “to tie or to bind”), has been popular in Japan since the 17th century. The technique was established much earlier, but was used only in very special circumstances for clothing worn mainly by the aristocracy.
In this piece, Tomita employs a warp kasuri, in which only the warp threads have been bound and dyed. After these steps, he splashes dye on the warp threads and then begins the weaving process. As Tomita weaves, a blurring occurs at the junction of different colors, creating subtle gradations of color within color and a pattern that permanently captures the creative process
Tomita’s work is currently prioritized for acquisition due to his expertise in and contemporary interpretation of the kasuri technique, which adds depth to this area of the collection.

This object was donated by Sheila Hicks and browngrotta arts. It is credited Gift of Sheila Hicks and browngrotta arts.

Its dimensions are

Warp x Weft: 61 x 48.9 cm (24 x 19 1/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Panel, P.Kasuri No. 46; Japan; choma; Warp x Weft: 61 x 48.9 cm (24 x 19 1/4 in.); Gift of Sheila Hicks and browngrotta arts; 2007-52-1-a,b

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18713055/ |title=Panel, P.Kasuri No. 46 |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=10 May 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>