shifu: a handwoven paper textile of japan - International Textiles ...

of twist was achieved, the wheel was given another turn or two and then
the thread was allowed to roll up on the bobbin. When finished, the
bobbin was removed and set aside to be later wound on a warping spool
or to be put into a shuttle to be used as weft. Mrs. Sakurai and Mrs. Sato
cut their paper narrower for their woven cloth. Mrs. Sakurai uses both
Z and S twist, one in white and one in blue, to achieve a kasuri like
thread when plied together.
Warp set up.
Since a plain tabby weave was used to weave the fabric, a warp was set
up on the Japanese loom, the hatabata (a Western style counterbalanced
floor loom). The width of the fabric followed Japanese tradition, being
the width of cloth for a kimono or obi. (Approximately 13 inches - 1
ippan, Jap.).
The Japanese borrowed the Western style counterbalanced loom de­
sign from the Portugese, who brought their rug looms to Japan in the
17th century. The Japanese call this loom the hatabata. They use this
loom with two harnesses in weaving shifu. The heddles are made with
two loops intertwined. The loops are separated, when warping is done,
and the warp thread is put in the eye of the two loops. Silk thread is
used for the heddles. Each weaver's warp is set according to her needs.
The sett varies from thirty ends per inch up to sixty ends per inch.
Generally, a simple tabby weave is used for the fabric, though block
and basket weaves are often set up. Most of the design is achieved by us­
ing warp stripes and color. Each weaver uses natural indigo (polygonum
tinctorium from Shikoku island) for dyeing the paper thread. Cochineal,
madder and plants which give yellow, and are indigenous to Japan, are
also used [2]. The shifu thread is strong enough when spun to withstand
dipping in the vats, so long as no pressure is put on the strands while
wet. (Photo 7).
The haoris (a short coat worn over a kimono), the obis (a wide belt
wound around the waist of the kimono), and the scarves, which the
weavers make, can not be distinguished by sight from kimonos made of
cotton or silk. Some weavers use silk warps, others use cotton. A haori
used to be considered a luxury garment, when made of silk and paper.
Today it is very special but it can also be woven in cotton and paper, to
be used over the blue and white kasuri kimono favored by the farmers.
The fabric is slightly stiffer than an all cotton or cotton and silk fabric,
but for the purpose intended, the stiffness is not a problem.
For finishing the fabric, a light starch of konyaku paste is brushed over
the fabric and this is removed with the soil, when dirty, by wiping with
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