Tag Archives: Uchinanchu

The Colorful Spirit of an Ancient Craft

I’m looking forward to presenting “Weaving and Dyeing in the Colorful Spirit of an Ancient Craft” on Sat., March 14, 11 am – 2 pm, at the Anchorage Museum of Fine Arts, Anchorage, Alaska as part of the Anchorage Weavers and Spinners Guild meeting. Synopsis: Handweaving and hand-dyeing textiles with natural materials and botanicals, includingContinue reading “The Colorful Spirit of an Ancient Craft”

July 30, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo – Ryukyu Textiles Workshop in the News

There are some nice photos of our 2013 Wakamono Taikai  Conference participants reported in the July 30, 2013 Okinawa Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper… Yes, we even have a nice photo of our Ryukyu Textiles Workshop participants.  Thank you Ryukyu Shimpo, and many thanks to the participants in my Ryukyu textiles workshop!  It was an honour toContinue reading “July 30, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo – Ryukyu Textiles Workshop in the News”

Chimugukuru @Okinawa Wakamono Taikai

I’ve recently returned from a week in Los Angeles, CA where I presented a Ryukyu Textiles cultural workshop at the 2013 Wakamono Taikai.  The Taikai is a meeting of the younger generation (ages 18-35) of Uchinanchu (people of Okinawa).  This year the focus of the conference was on Uchinanchu identity. At the Ryukyu Textiles workshop,Continue reading “Chimugukuru @Okinawa Wakamono Taikai”

Bingata and Ai Zomme @Okinawa Wakamono Taikai

This month I’ve been busy preparing for the upcoming 2013 Okinawa Wakamono Taikai Conference to take place in Torrance, CA USA from July 18-22.  I will be teaching a Ryukyu Textiles workshop as part of the Taikai Cultural Workshops series. One technique that I will teach is the process of E-Gata, a type of BingataContinue reading “Bingata and Ai Zomme @Okinawa Wakamono Taikai”

The Weaving of Flowers

Shuri Hana Ori is a float weave structure that originated in Shuri, the capitol of the Ryukyu Kingdom, during the Ryukyu Kingdom period (15 – 19th century).  Shuri is located on Okinawa Island, Japan. Hana means “flower” and “ori” means weaving in Japanese, therefore Shuri Hana Ori (or, Hana Ui in Ryukyuan language) is essentiallyContinue reading “The Weaving of Flowers”

Bashofu Weaving

Records indicate that Bashofu weaving existed in the Ryukyu Islands as far back as the 1500’s… The earliest written evidence is dated 1546 from Pak Son, a shipwrecked Korean who reached the Ryukyus in 1542 where he stayed for four years before returning to Korea.  Pak Son wrote the following: “The larger trees are theContinue reading “Bashofu Weaving”

Okinawan Folk Music – Bashofu

Bashofu “beautiful song of the homeland…mountains so green, skies so blue…beautiful people too” 1. Umi no aosa ni Sora no ao Minami no kaze ni Midoriba no Basho wa nasake ni Te o maneku Tokonatsu no kuni Washita shima Uchina 2. Shuri no kojo no Ishi datami Mukashi o shinobu Katahotori Minoreru basho Ureteita MidoribaContinue reading “Okinawan Folk Music – Bashofu”