Tabata Kihachi Autumn 2024 Collection

From Wednesday, August 21st to Sunday, August 25th, we will be hosting an exhibiton of Kyoto Yuzen artist Tabata Kihachi V, along with a special exhibition of a Triptych by Miyazaki Yuzensai.

Miyazaki Yuzen-sai, originally a fan painter from Kyoto has left a massive legacy on the world of Japanese textiles, so much so that the technique he perfected was named after him. Work by Yuzen himself are extremely rare today.
Among the many exquisite works in the Tabata family collection, Ginza Motoji has been given the oportunity to display one of the most preciouis works from the Tabata Family Collection, A tryptych by Miyazaki Yuzensai.

The exhibition will showcase the exquisite work of Miyazaki Yuzensai, alongside new works by Tabata Kihachi V, inspired by Yuzen-sai's hanging scrolls and fan paintings. This special five-day event offers a unique opportunity to see these masterpieces across time, displayed together in the same space. We invite you to visit and enjoy the exhibition. Key points of interest: "Miyazaki Yuzen-sai's Three-Panel Set" and the Autumn New Works Exhibition by the 5th generation Tabata Kihachi.

On Display For a Limited Time
A Triptych by Miyazaki Yuzen

Shōjō (猩猩) with Climbing Carp, Descending Carp; Yuzen, Triptych Hanging Scrolls (Edo Period, Genroku Era 1688–1704)
This piece is one of the hanging scrolls believed to have been commissioned by Lord Maeda of Kaga, and distributed to various daimyos during his later years in Kanazawa. The scrolls feature depictions of shōjō (a mythical orangutan like spirit.) and carp, with every element, from the characters to the entire mounting, meticulously dyed on a single piece of silk using the Yuzen technique. The vibrant and lively artwork exemplifies the brilliance of Yuzensai's later years, showcasing his exquisite brushwork and masterful techniques.

2.Miyazaki Yuzensai and Yuzen Dyeing

Triptych Detail

Yuzen dyeing is a renowned Japanese pattern-dyeing technique that developed during the Edo period. Famous varieties include "Kyo-Yuzen," "Kaga-Yuzen," and "Tokyo-Yuzen," all of which share the characteristic technique of using "Itomenori" (resist paste) to outline patterns, preventing colors from mixing. This resist-dyeing method allowed for the creation of colorful patterns resembling paintings, enabling free and intricate pattern expression.

The name "Yuzen" originates from Miyazaki Yuzensai, an artist active during the Genroku era (1688–1704) of the Edo period in Kyoto. He was initially famous for painting fans, which became extremely popular, leading him to design patterns for kosode (a type of kimono). His design collections, or Hinagata , gained widespread acclaim all over Japan, resulting in his lasting legacy.

Although Yuzensai's early life is somewhat obscure, one theory suggests that he was born in Ishikawa Prefecture, became famous as a fan painter in Kyoto, and later returned to Ishikawa in his later years, where he further propagated Yuzen dyeing, contributing to the establishment of Kaga-Yuzen. He is believed to have lived for 83 years.

3.Collected by the Tabata Family for Generations.
About the Tabata Collection

(Right) A kimono by Tabata Kihachi V (2023), inspired by a kosode from the Tabata Collection displayed on the left (produced in the kanbun era (1661-1673).

The Tabata family, who have been part of the textiles world for many generations, possess a rare collection of Japanese textiles known as the "Tabata Collection."

This collection spans a wide range of items, including kosode (a precursor to modern kimono), classical dyeing techniques such as Tsujigahana, Noh costumes, folk textile works, and design pattern books for kimono. As a privately assembled collection, it is remarkable both in quantity and quality.

The origins of the collection date back to Tabata Kihachi II, from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period. The Tabata family primarily served in creating kimono for the imperial and feudal lords. However, with the collapse of the shogunate following the Meiji Restoration, the samurai class faced economic hardship. The generous second-generation Kihachi was moved by the desire of samurai parents to create wedding attire for their daughters and offered to make celebratory garments free of charge. However, to maintain their dignity, the samurai families offered their inherited textiles in return.

Tabata Kihachi III, was the first Yuzen artist to be designated as a Living National Treasure, was also passionate about collecting fine textiles. As a result, the Yuzen reference materials gathered by the fifth generation include approximately 3,000 kosode alone.

The Tabata family’s collection is not something that was hastily assembled through wealth alone. It was painstakingly gathered over many years, selected with the discerning eye that only a master textile artist could possess. As a result, it has become an unparalleled private collection of the highest caliber.

4.Recent Work by Tabata Kihachi V

Please take a look at the exquisite works that have been carefully selected by the fifth generation Tabata Kihachi V from the vast Tabata Collection, including hanging scrolls and fan paintings by Miyazaki Yuzen-sai. These works have been used as reference and and expressed in light of contemporary aesthetics in the form of Obi.

Nagoya Kyusun Obi
「Wheel of Fans and Arabesque Scrollwork」

The original work in the Tabata collection is dyed with just the shibori tye-dye technique, and embellished with embroidery. Tabata V has reimagined the pattern in Yuzen, with Suri-Bitta*(摺匹田) filling one of the fans.

*Suri-Bitta is a stencil dyeing technique, popularized in mid Edo period to imitate the look of kanoko shibori which was banned under sumptuary laws.　

Photo of Kosode from the early Edo period from The Radiant Beauty of Kosode: The Tabata Family Collection(かがやける小袖の美田畑家コレクション)

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Nagoya Kyusun Obi

「Basket and Plum 」

Once again inspired by a work from his family collection, Plum Flowers are decorating an abstracted woven basket. This obi is once again executed in Yuzen and Suri-Bitta.

Photo of Kosode from the mid Edo period from The Radiant Beauty of Kosode: The Tabata Family Collection(かがやける小袖の美田畑家コレクション)

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Kyusun Nagoya Obi
「Flowers and Rhombi」

Flowers are beautifully juxtaposed with a graphic element, making the work feel elegant and contemporary.

Uchikake from theThe Tabata Family Collection

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Nagoya Kysusun Obi
「Crane and Tortoise Shell」

The motifs on this obi are based on a maru obi (now largely extinct, double sided brocade obi) desgined by Tabata Kihachi III. The talents of the third-generation Kihachi flourished during the pre-war era of a prosperous Japan, when the zaibatsu (powerful financial conglomerates) often commissioned lavish kimonos and obi. From grandfather to grandson, the obi has been beautifully transformed into a refined and contemporary work of art.

Turtle Shell and Crane (c.1932)

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Nagoya Kyusun Obi
「Plum Blossom」

With motifs drawn from a furisode kimono depicting the four seasons by Tabata Kihachi III, Tabata V isolates the plum branch, and executes it in on a chic black background. The original furisode was produced by Tabata III in a turbulent time after World War II, where almost all tools for the production of his kimono were scarce. This kimono was used as a cover for the book of the Tabata Collection.

Four Seasons Coffered Ceiling Motif - Furisode (Post War, 1945)

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Kyusun Nagoya Obi
「Shochikubai (Pine, Bamboo, Plumblossom)」

A classic pattern, Shochikubai, excecuted in marvelous blues and coral, and a warm gold. This work is inspired by a kimono from the Edo Period.

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Kyusun Nagoya Obi
「Flowing Water and Bamboo」

The composition distinctly of the motifs in this obi distinctly reflect the characteristics of the below kosode from the mid Edo Period

Flowing Water and Bamboo Grass

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Nagoya Kyusun Obi
「Bamboo and Chrysanthemum」

The suri-bitta technique, also seen in the mid-Edo period kosode with the 'bamboo and chrysanthemum pattern,' is one of the characteristic methods passed down through the Tabata family."

Bamboo and Chrysanthemum

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Kyusun Nagoya Obi
「Hinoki Fan」

This obi is based on a luxurious kosode with a black background scattered with hinoki fans. Upon one of the fans, the crest of the Tokugawa family is visible, indicating that this garment was connected to the Tokugawa clan.

Kosode from the Early Edo Period

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Source Material

1) "The Radiant Beauty of Kosode: The Tabata Family Collection" (1990, Asahi Shimbun Publishing)

『かがやける小袖の美田畑家コレクション』1990 年朝日新聞社

2) "The Splendor of Kyo-Yuzen: The Art of Living National Treasure, Third Generation Kihachi Tabata" (2001, NHK Kinki Media Plan)

『京友禅の華人間国宝三代田畑喜八の美』2001年 NHKきんきメディアプラン

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