Silver Cranes &
Pine Coast
Motif
This vintage obi fabric represents a flock of red-crowned cranes flying above the coast. The pines stand proudly on the cliffs, and the waves beneath reflect the sunlight like jewels.
These graceful birds hold a deeply symbolic place in Japanese culture, yet they are very rare and live only in one region in the far north of the country: Hokkaido.
In Japan, red-crowned cranes are quite rare in real life, yet incredibly present in Japanese textiles and art. These graceful birds only live in the far north region of Hokkaido, and as opposed to their continental cousins, they don’t migrate. Cranes are not depicted because they are common, but because they are ideal, rare, elegant, full of symbolic meaning and hope. This is why they appear so often on bridal kimono and formal obi.
The fabric is shown in different light, so you can image the sheer of the textile. The background is a light and cold (almost blue) hue of silver.
Previously made in this fabric
Bumbag
In-person workshop in Kyoto
If you are visiting Kyoto and would like to spend some time discovering these fabrics in person, you are welcome to visit my studio.
Together, we will design your bag from A to Z. You will choose your favourite obi and even cut the fabric yourself, selecting the exact part of the motif you love most.
I will then carefully sew and finish your bag and ship it to you once it is complete.
→ Book a studio visit and experience the fabrics with your own eyes